


Sky Dance

by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper



Series: Of Land and Sky [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Atem is Vicious, Challenges, Dragon Mating Rituals, Dragons, Dragons Mating, Gandora!Yugi, God Dragon, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Attempts at Non-Con, Past Violence, Slifer!Atem, Yugi is Clever, incompatibility, past pining, slight fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 21:16:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 35,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14341077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiYugiPuzzleshipper/pseuds/YamiYugiPuzzleshipper
Summary: "I will not aim to kill you if, when I am victor, you leave of your own accord and never return here. Should you find your way back once more with the idea of claiming me, it shall be the last thing you will ever come to do, understand?"





	1. Yugi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh  
> Update schedule: Part two on 26th, part three on 16th  
> Story Warnings: Mentions of Asexual Reproduction, Mentions of Sex Change, Mentions of Past Kills, Mentions of Past Suitors, Mentions of Death, Mentions of ATTEMPTS at Forceful Mating, Mentions of Past Wounds, Mentions of Past Sibling Abuse, Dragon Sex/Animals Mating (part three), SLIGHT Harm During Sex, Sexual Content  
> Yeah, I don't know how I actually wound up writing this. But, hey! Dragony goodness! Atem and Yugi loving in dragon forms~ What more can you possibly ask for? LOL Anyways, the dragons have two forms, the origin and battle forms. The origin form is the one that you see in the anime. The battle form is a more compressed, deadlier shape. It is also the form that the dragons mate in as their origin forms vary so greatly (Atem's absolutely dwarfs Yugi's) due to types/elements.  
> So, this is a three-shot! This chapter is the set up, and the next is more background on both characters. The lemon comes in the third part. The lemon is entirely new to me because it's animals and not human (literally dragons bumping uglies). I seriously don't even know how I wound up writing this but holy shit.  
> Atem CAN change sexes. He's part Water Dragon, which is based off of amphibians in this world. He can genetically alter his sex and become female should he have to in order to procure offspring. He can also lay his own eggs and potentially hatch them if he were to try. It's not explained in much detail, so I figured I would explain the warnings. That's all they mean.  
> I'm keeping my notes brief so go ahead and feel free to ask me questions when you finish reading if you'd like.

Part I: Yugi

Something moved in the dirt. A hideous scraping noise, long and slow, crept through the air, and for a moment the dragon froze. Then he heard it, recognizing the heavy thump of it falling back to the ground again. Before him, in a perfect formation of heavy artillery, the scales along the spine of the great red dragon rose into a bristle of only the slightest alarm.

The head of this dragon alone had spoken of immense size, but the tail said it was so much bigger than he had initially assumed.

"I am aware of your presence," the red beast murmured in a tone that was sluggish with sleep but lethal in its dismissive stance. The scraping noise was long gone now but he still had a judge of just how immense this creature truly was and it shook him to the core. "But I am not aware of your intentions within my land. What is your purpose for coming here?"

For only a moment he wished he might have the words to answer. But a part of him knew better than to be so foolish. So he raised his head again, drew in as big a breath as his primary lungs could hold, and let out a series of loud ringing booms from somewhere deep within his chest.

His call sparked immediate action.

The dragon before him opened a single eye, one the size of the sun beyond it, the same blazing color to mirror its intensity. There was no pupil. There was no slit of any kind. He could not judge its temperament upon seeing him and such blindness unnerved him even more than the rumors that circled around it. There was nothing by which he could possibly judge if his cries had produced the effect he needed or not. But then the looming red dragon slowly raised its head.

When the very bone of its jaw rose, he could see the bare underbelly of its large neck, the serpentine design of it. The scales were a glistening black like that of slate stone, perfectly smooth and glittering even as the sun failed to touch their surface. Beneath each was the simplest stripe of white, deceptively soft upon the eyes, and he wondered if they shone rainbow under the sun if it were to angle its throat to do so.

The dragon stretched much like one of the humans' pet dogs, lower body stretched towards the sky and legs the size of tree trunks splayed forward. The smallest set of claws he had ever seen—there were only three of them, as opposed to the usual four or five—rose and flexed in the air for a moment before the tension was lost and they fell back against the dirt once more.

The thin bones of its body looked delicate and short where they rose towards the huge chest, a plate which lay there several times larger and sharper where the others seemed smooth like water and shadows. Two blades of metal—or perhaps they were bone—glinted a brilliant white like its great teeth, laying feet apart on the protective scale.

The wings, draped down and lying in the dirt, began to rise into high arches, so great in height that they were almost the same as the mountain peaks beyond them. He imagined if they were fully extended in this form they might block away the sun. The very crevice of their joints was crested with gleaming red, a covering of scales upon the spear of bone. But it did not unfurl them in an attempt to overwhelm and intimidate as another dragon might.

It simply shook its muscular neck out, the stripes rippling like smoke within the air. Then its head lowered and the dragon peered at him with glittering golden eyes, so deep and cold that he thought of the special metal. Slowly its wings folded back into its sides, resting horizontal to its body, and the long red coils began to twist and writhe, the dirt speaking of slithering movements as it stared back at him.

"You wish to challenge me for mating privileges?" it drawled in a voice as deep as the rumbling of gathering storm clouds. He blinked, because there was nothing recognizable or even natural in its timbre, as if it were built of a million voices rather than one. There was no definition to its volume. The red dragon gazed upon him for a long moment and the silence stayed steady between them.

He could not speak.

He  _would_  not speak.

"Perhaps my origin form inspires your mute voice."

He almost wanted to say it was gorgeous, far beyond what he had ever seen of another dragon. He wanted to tell them how the red scales shone beautifully beneath the sunlight, as if they were the very core of a perfect ruby. Or that the gem in his forehead, that brilliant sapphire, was the shade of the sky before the sun set and the gleam of it made his hearts pound. Or that the elegant crown of spikes upon his head were as brilliant as the curve of his claws and he thought them more beautiful than he could put into words. Or that both sets of teeth were as white as the snow that capped the mountains beyond them or the moon when its face was full. He wanted to tell it a million different things. But his tongue felt heavy with the weight of the words and the inclination that this dragon might come to hate him for such admiration.

So he stayed silent.

The red beast took a step, clearing distance it would have taken him seemingly  _forever_  to pass over. Then the second heralded a shimmering of bright red and electrifying yellow, of black streaked with white, of swirling winds and a booming crackling like ice breaking. The sound made his hearts pound as the wind began to dissipate again and the lights began to filter away into nonexistence once more.

It stood at his height now, the size of the tallest pine tree, with that same gorgeous crown of red spears that rose like the peaks of mountains. The mouths were still gaping pits of white teeth, so sharp they seemed to split the very air as the dragon exhaled loudly and into the stillness of the coming night. The eyes were still free of any pupils, but now they were almond in their shape, with a more pronounced gleam like carved gold rather than an intense sunbeam.

But he noticed the bulk of its huge form was centered along the muscular formation of its larger body, the longer and thicker legs, the gleaming shield-shaped plates of armor upon its chest. When it moved again, he noticed that three claws had morphed into four, and a fifth sat along the insides of its legs towards the tip of the chest plates, the appendage smaller and almost akin a human's thumbs.

But, with this, he also realized that those claws had  _grown._

Not only were they no longer rounded along the tops, giving them a smooth sleek look like that of his fangs, now they stretched further outwards like talons. They arched up at the base, covering the formation of the dragon's knuckles, and reached the length of a human arm.

When it approached him now, it was not with grace but with ferocity, hate and power, which made the length of its spikes along its back rise in spears of red. He could hear bones snapping and stretching upwards, grating lightly along the tips of his scales where they pushed against them to rise in the hideous crests of painful daggers. The wings were still the majority of its upper body, so large that even tucked they seemed to double its muscular form along the shoulders and chest. And, now, rather than one red spike of bone where it jutted out beneath the scales, there were two. The first was still red, but the second glistened white and silver, mere inches apart, the tips rising furiously away as if in pronouncement of their abilities.

Its tail was what held his attention, however. As it slid along the ground, disturbing the air with the harsh noise and stunning speed, he realized it was still long. It was so unusual and otherworldly in its length that it was horrifying. It made up for the mass of bulkiness it had gained, coils upon coils of brilliant red where the end was feathered only slightly but tucked tightly together.

The dragon was not aiming to kill him as of yet.

"Do you even know of my name?" the red dragon spat, and now the voice was a rich singular timbre, a savage baritone which splintered the air but caressed his ears. The golden eyes blinked and its head rose slightly as he remained silent. The tail lashed now, whipping a cloud of dust up in a rapid formation that nearly blinded him. The hate was clear in his brilliant eyes. "I suppose you came here to conquer the God Dragon of Domino. Shall I tell you the fate of others within your predicament? The ones who have attempted to best me in battle or tournament, competition or will, hoping to force me to lay for them… Not one of them has ever known my true name. Can you speak it for me now? Do you  _know_  it?"

He blinked at the red dragon, his own eyes wide in shock at such spiteful words. His hearts plummeted for a moment, scales shuddering as he looked at him. How could anyone truly hope to court another if they did not even truly know their name? Of course he knew this dragon's name!

But to say it…

The top mouth clicked disdainfully as it snapped its teeth and its long tail lashed angrily in the dirt. The cloud of dust came in waves for a moment. A small stone flew towards him but missed by an inch. He almost backed up but the red dragon did not seem as if it meant to do him harm as of yet.

"I am Atem, the Sky Dragon the humans of the village beneath the mountains worship. I am  _the_  God Dragon of the east."

The vicious edge of Atem's words startled him faintly and he bristled, the hostility so open that it stabbed through him like teeth. He had to fight not to tremble, nor to simply flatten himself to the ground and speed off hastily.

Yet, when he still remained silent, Atem continuing to watch him, his anger swept outwards like waves crashing against the stones of the bottom cliffs. He tilted his head slightly, studying him with a resentment coming upon his senses.

This dragon…

He drew in a deep breath, but caught nothing more than a volcanic, ashen, berry-laden scent that faintly held a hint of pine needle. Even as his tongues scraped upon the tops of his mouths and slipped in forked formations from between his sharp teeth, he could catch nothing.

And it occurred to him that he had never seen a dragon like this before. Perhaps the muddy brown and gray shade of color was not its true appearance, but the shape was unfamiliar to him as well. He had not known of a dragon with tusks that formed inward in a curled motion like sculpted ice and bone, sharp and almost ragged like the singular soft ridges of his claws. The beak of its mouth was sharp and long, overshadowing the length of its teeth by a few inches as his own did. But the bottom jaw stretched outwards in mimicry of this design, so that they almost closed in on each other almost like a second mouth. The head was sharper, angular, and the upwards crown of its head seemed to stretch to the length of a quarter its neck. There it was underlined by long spikes of scale which rose like pillars across its back. But it was only a singular line, much unlike his own and most other dragons he knew of.

But without coloration he could not tell for sure. And the large claws were much smoother than his own, but the ends looked thinner, as if etched away into a sharper point than his. But the front legs were slightly smaller, thinner and more fragile looking, while the hindquarters were far more developed. And its entire body was smoother than his own. He did not have the same reinforcement upon his chest, where his own plates took on a sharp downward formation for several scales and then smoothed out again.

But the wings were too tightly tucked for him to get a true sense. If he could not tell by the body and tail, he could almost always claim identity by wings alone.

But this dragon was layered with a soft paste of some sort, one which was unrelenting in its ability to fully mask its scent.

The most he could tell was that it, like him, was male.

And that made him bristle all the more.

"Have you no name then?" Atem snarled after a moment. Nerves began to prick at his growing anger. No dragon had ever had the sheer audacity to ignore him upon coming to attempt to claim right to mate with him.

Every one of his suitors had known of the privilege that was granted upon being able to claim a God Dragon, even more so one with the rare formation of two mouths. They especially desired the magic granted them by the three elements that the Sky Dragon as a species possessed.

Usually they were quite talkative, sneering and leering, even making biting and striking motions at him while telling him what they planned to do with him. He'd mostly dealt with males of other species, with the rare few females who had obviously sought him out for power or beauty rather than affection of any kind.

By now, with an average suitor, he would have heard how he would be roaring with ecstasy or panting—perhaps  _mewling_ —or even possibly mute from the multiple mountings. And, oddly, at the moment, Atem could not tell the emotional charge within this dragon's eyes. There was nothing but the boldest claim of determination.

Whether it truly pertained to the act of breeding with him or simply the will to survive this encounter was something he could not tell.

Those eyes were shaded a brilliant silver from an extra lens upon its outside, but it did not do more than color the outer irises softly. It did not block away the color of them from his sight. They were a gorgeous violet, ringed with a generous amount of beautiful sapphire blue around its slit pupils.

And not once did they reveal even the smallest detail of intentions towards him.

But this dragon had performed a mating call, had he not?

Atem tipped his head to the side the slightest degree further.

He had heard the same call a few days before.

Hadn't Timaeus called out in a very similar way not even four days prior in an attempt to woo a female Wind Dragon?

Mating calls were specific for species. Atem knew that well enough. They were specifically designed for each dragon as well where timbre was involved, but all of them catered to a species in and of itself.

So that meant this dragon before him had to be a Wind Dragon. Or, at the very least, he had to have Wind Dragon genetics. But he was not built like a Wind Dragon—or perhaps not entirely. He had the smoother scales along the body, after all, but not along the back, and his tail was long and designed with enough muscle to stun an opponent should they be unfortunate enough to be whipped with it.

Atem narrowed his gaze, considering him for a moment longer. Was this unnamed dragon banking on his ability to produce asexually or was it expected of him to change his own sex to procure eggs? Either seemed out of the question for him. Especially when there was no opportunity to trigger such things in the time that it—

He bristled now, his tail lashing. The spears of bone along his back stretched further upwards as his body continued to react to his growing rage. Why was he even considering a loss? He had never lost before. He had never lost as a hatchling when it came to games and he never failed to outdo a suitor.

He had enough severed heads and piles of bones to prove that. This bastard would be just like the rest of them. He would cut his head from his body and throw it aside as he had so many others.

Or perhaps he might even do worse.

His silence was infuriating, after all.

But damn him for the determination in his eyes. It was daunting to look at and pledge vow against surrender to. Atem snarled low in his throat and his lips twitched further as both mouths parted slightly in anger.

"You have one chance left to speak," he bit out. The dust he stirred was almost enough to make him cough. He could barely see the other dragon now. But when he shot another rock into the air towards the silhouette against the dust, he stilled himself. He didn't want to hit him if it would not be by his own fangs and claws. "You may leave if you wish. I have many bodies lying around this mountain, scattered and broken by my will. I do not care for another."

The dragon blinked at him. The silver lens seemed to dissipate for a moment. Then it came back fully and it shielded his eyes completely, turning them the color of moonlight and afternoon shadows.

Slowly, with that same determination somehow boring into him despite the sheen of color, the dragon shook his head.

The red dragon snarled louder. Then he launched himself forward. Another might have cowered away. This dragon of smeared scales slipped beneath him like a droplet of water, using Atem's own upwards launch to weave his way under him. The God Dragon spun on him furiously. He thought to open his wings at the other creature.

The impact would have stunned at the very least.

It would have launched the other dragon at the very most.

Or perhaps it would have snapped bones where they collided.

It was amazing to him, however, that this dragon did not do as the last had. The challenger he'd most recently killed had tried to impale  _himself_  by way of releasing hormones to arouse the God Dragon and soft tickles to his belly.

How easy it had been to kill him for it.

Atem flicked the edges of his wings. It was not too late to simply send him flying. Perhaps if he did that, they would back off. Or perhaps he might injure it enough to potentially kill it if they continued.

But then he tucked his wings firmly again. He was not malicious. He did not wish to kill without the chance for another to win. He had, after all, some sense of honor despite the years.

This dragon looked a lot faster than most. The ability to weave beneath him as he had, with such ease and simplistic speed, was yet another sign of a mixed species. He was not pure Wind Dragon by any means. His scales were not smooth enough.

And the color of his eyes was far too exotic as well.

And what of his facial features? There still was no explanation for them. He did not know of a species that had such tusks or such an immense crowning to their heads.

His own had been passed to him by his mother. As had the gem in his forehead, nestled upon the center of his skull so simply.

Atem struggled with such inability to name this dragon. He had been challenged by seemingly every species he could think of. He had killed an Earth Dragon whose name he'd forgotten, Anzu the Water Dragon, Vivian the Lightning Dragon whose head he'd cut off… There were a great many whom he'd forced himself to forget for the sake of his own sanity, as the fear had dragged him too far down before then.

There was, of course, the Ice Dragon, but their near extinction meant the lack of outward breeding. And Fire Dragons were almost unidentifiable as fire was the element that gave birth and wrought destruction. Every dragon was able to produce fire from their lungs and it was what kept dragons like himself from freezing in high altitudes. It was what allowed them even to fly.

Atem studied him for a long minute.

The dragon did not move.

It did not even lunge at him.

Atem thrashed his tail for a moment, thumping it against the earth. He supposed it did not matter. If he was truly set upon mounting and breeding with him, he would have to best him. And to best him was all but impossible.

He had made sure of that.

He knew every weakness each dragon and their physical types possessed. He knew how to destroy them without even the slightest touch of his own elemental strengths.

He considered him a few moments longer. He didn't think he'd ever encountered such a slender form that heralded a barrel chest shape. And his wings were so tightly tucked against his body. But by the gods, he swore he knew the slope of them from somewhere…

"I am tired of killing," the red dragon said in a deliberately slow and soft voice. Those golden eyes were glowing faintly, but he could not tell if it was with weariness or slight amusement. The gem on his forehead was perfectly sky blue in shade, giving him nothing. But his tail was scraping along the dirt as if to testify against his own statement. "So we shall make this a simple contest. Should you be able to pin me for more than a few seconds, I will declare you the winner."

The other dragon blinked, clearly startled, and Atem swore he saw something bright, gleaming and hopeful, within his gaze now. It was both alarming and stunning and the effect it had was instantaneous hatred for the red dragon.

His tail lashed again, infuriated.

"But I make this treaty on the core testament that neither of us shall use our magic. There will be no disappearing. There will be no fire, ice, lightning, wind—whatever set of lungs in your possession are not to be used.  _None_  of it is to be utilized. There shall be nothing more than physical combat. And, if you can pin me, then you may have me."

He tilted his head, watching this dragon in front of him curiously. The eyes had grown thrice their former size, no longer almond in shape but more like a pair of twin moons in their roundness. It was shocked, incredibly so, and Atem found it almost laughable.

"I will not aim to kill you if, when I am victor, you leave of your own accord and never return here. Should you find your way back once more with the idea of claiming me, it shall be the last thing you will ever come to do, understand?"

Now something restless and unnerved peaked in the other's stance. Atem watched with amusement as the dragon stiffened considerably, wings flicking and claws shifting. Those bright eyes dimmed slightly and his mouth tugged into something like a grimace. The expression on his face could only be described as miserable, as though the very concept of losing the chance hurt far more than it managed to scare him. And then, as if he realized Atem was watching him with such growing delight, the muddied dragon raised and nodded his head, that fierce determination returning to his brilliant eyes.

The Sky Dragon studied him, wondering at the sight. When the silence continued, he felt himself bristling further. "My beauty must have swallowed your tongue," he sneered after a moment, frustrated by that altogether unwavering silence. He flicked his tongues and lashed his tail. In complete silence, the other dragon considered him.

Then, very slowly, its head dipped in a nod, tail sliding back and forth in something of a twitch. Had Atem not been so infuriated, he might have even considered it nervous. But the God Dragon was so enraged that not even the slightest hint of attention went towards such action.

Atem was baring his teeth again, snarling low in his throat. Was this bastard truly mocking him? What misguided bravery. He'd tear it out of him.

He clenched his toes, the claws slipping effortlessly into the earth. Then, with little thought, he launched himself forward again. This time he aimed lower rather than higher. He would not give him enough room to maneuver around him.

If he could corner him or force him back—

The other dragon sprang backwards as he came within range. He didn't give him enough room to so much as swipe at it. Its wings propelled it just far enough to escape his attack. The action made Atem snarl in frustration. He was a lot faster than the Sky Dragon had assumed.

But Wind Dragons were not best known for stamina. And whatever else he was mixed with probably suffered the same limitations in some form.

"You cannot take me in the air," Atem spat, lashing his tail. The other dragon tensed, its wings angled to push towards the air. The momentum would get it airborne. "The sky is  _my_  domain, you bastard, no matter what Wind Dragons might claim. They have  _none_  of my speed nor my grace. You might as well flee while you are still able if you wish to challenge me in the air."

The dragon hesitated for only a moment. Atem sprang again. This time the speed of his movement brought him down harder. The two of them collided harshly. His claws scraped at wings that flew outwards. The impact was as if he had run into a stone wall. Then they stretched further. The retaliation knocked the wind from Atem's lungs. He stumbled, forced back with another hit.

The appendages were much stronger than he'd initially assumed.

Instinct made him lash out harder. His tail slammed forward. The air whistled bitterly from the speed alone. It opened, the bones snapping to expose the keratin blades. He almost aimed for his throat. Then reality slammed into him.

He had said he would not strike him down.

Atem swung his tail downwards. The dust cloud that came blinded them both. He needed to recover his temper. This dragon may have been mocking him— _he could feel it deep within his bones_ —but the Sky Dragon was honorable. And he had been truthful. He was tired of striking others down. But this mixed dragon was  _playing_  him. To think that he could rise into the air and hold his own against  _him_  was suicidal.

He really should cut his head off. He thumped his tail again, lashing it. The thought was oddly appealing despite earlier declaration.

The dust cleared. He snarled low in his throat. His opponent was frozen. Then he breathed in deeply. The two of them watched each other closely. Atem thought for a moment that he might be drawing air into a specific set of lungs. But the sound was too raspy. His challenger was simply unnerved and scared stiff. The momentary flash of his tail had shaken him.

He was not going to use his magic. He was simply trying to regain his nerves. Atem wondered for the smallest of seconds if his disappointment showed. If he'd broken his vow to play honorably, the Sky Dragon could simply kill him.

What a shame that he would truly have to fight him.

Atem launched himself again. The speed alone should have done enough. Yet, somehow this dragon was faster. It stunned the Sky Dragon. No dragon had ever bested him in speed before.

He blinked wide eyes and lashed his tail again. The challenger was up the air. And he was flying swiftly. Had he headed the same way he'd come, Atem might not have given chase. He simply would have viewed it as a surrender and allowed him to leave.

But then the dragon headed straight into the trees. And the direction it headed led to his den. The realization further angered him.

How long had this dragon been plotting this?

Had he been watching him to know the direction he needed to go in order to make the Sky Dragon give chase?

Atem was in the air immediately. His wings tucked back into his sides after a single beat. His legs were folded as he rushed forward. The distance the other had managed to put between them was swallowed almost completely.

Yet, somehow the other remained a few feet ahead.

It was clear, however, that this dragon did not possess the same grace to maneuver as Atem did. The Sky Dragon pushed his toes together. The claws clicked together almost painfully but the tighter formation allowed his body to move faster. His body was as straight as an arrow now. A rumbling growl sounded deep within his chest.

And, abruptly, without a sign, the other dragon shot upwards. The sharp turn startled him. Atem went right past him. The challenger banked swiftly to the right. Then he spun, flanks heaving, and hovered. The gentle gusts of air he loosed as he flapped his wings stirred the branches only slightly. He was panting as he watched.

The Sky Dragon attempted to bank. But the trees were too tightly fit around him. If he turned, he would risk cutting a flank. And with his wings so tightly drawn he might snap a bone if the angle was too sharp.

And then what he might be able to do?

If he could not fly he was utterly useless.

So he angled towards the ground. His legs unfolded. He craned his neck back slightly. But the distribution of weight did him well to slow his speed.

He spread his toes and angled his claws towards the earth. If he could press his weight into them, he could use it to pivot.

He was inches from the ground.

A branch snapped.

Atem blinked.

Had he touched it?

He had not felt anything…

And then a sense of panic descended upon him.

Something had grabbed him.

Something was draped upon his back—

Atem snarled. His tail lashed. His balance was lost in an instant. A dismal noise left him.

He plummeted. He struggled. His wings tried to expand. But they were glued to his sides. His entire body was heavy now. And, by the gods, he could not see a threat.

But, when he snapped his teeth, he felt something. And he could not name it for a moment. Yet, a delirious sense of pain came from the action. Furiously, he crashed.

His body rolled twice. Then he lay in a heap upon his belly. The trees had snapped directly around him. Several fell in crashing, thunderous booms. Branches whipped past his face. One landed precariously close to his tail. An inch further and his bones would have snapped.

Atem panted, fear holding him still. He was unable to bring himself to his feet. He blinked and his eyes focused only slightly, with slow fuzzy details.

The panic grew tenfold. Another bellow left him.

Humans? Humans had trapped him?! It was one of their deer-catchers—he knew the fibers of their ropes. He knew the design of the weight traps they produced for hunting.

What were they called?

 _Nets_?

Was that the word?

He shuddered and squirmed. His entire body was wracked with tremors. If he could not shake this human trap, what was to stop his challenger from…?

He bellowed again. But it was rapidly becoming a distress call. His panic seized his lungs. His breathing came in an erratic fit. His primary lungs ached and burned, screaming.

Again he lashed his tail, struggling. But his landing had captured him entirely. He could hardly move but for quivering and lashing his tail.

He could feel the terrible weight of the net across his body. But somehow, it remained mostly upon the top. He quivered and his body ached as the wind stirred. Immediately he looked up again.

His challenger was coming forward now. The flight was unlike that which he had seen before. Now, the dragon was lazy, slower. And when he banked now, he did it a few feet away, landing easily. Atem wondered if his panicked bellowing had called him forward. And, for the briefest of moments, he was hopeful.

But the expression within the other's eyes was not shock. There was no sense of indignation on his behalf. There was not the  _lightest_  touch of remorse. There was not even bewilderment.

It was, to Atem's shock, very simplistic delight.

And he felt his hearts begin to shatter in his chest.

He was not upset.

Because he had been the one to set this trap.

Atem trembled, then snarled loudly. His tail thrashed again. He tried to struggle out from beneath the net. But it weighed him down too heavily. His lungs were too tight but he breathed out of his nose in hatred.

How in the  _world_  might another dragon be so deluded as to think this to be okay?

He watched him, eyes hard and glittering. The hatred swelled further. How  _could_  he do this to him?

Atem blinked and snarled low in his throat. His own mother had asked him similarly, however, he remembered. She had been horrified upon bearing witness to the cruel murder of his first potential mate. The female had tried to lure him upon her after losing a physical altercation with him. And, had his mother not stared at him in shock and horror? Had she not watched the blood drip from his claws and stared at the beautiful spears of his tail as the feathered blades shut?

Atem glared up at him, breathing out angrily once more. His flanks were heaving with desperation. His tail slithered in the dirt as his hatred grew to make him tremble. His claws stretched as he tried to flex his paws beneath the net which held him so easily pinned.

"You used a dirty human trick," he spat, his scales elongating along his spine with horror. The netting was so thick, laced with metal, weighted at the edges where they seemed almost held by spears. Atem realized he could not bite through it. And he did not know that his tail could cut it away either. He would damage his gums or perhaps break the bones of his tail.

The other dragon was gasping, almost wheezing. It opened its mouth wide, gulping in air, and the blue-rimmed violet eyes appeared mostly unfocused with the task of recovery.

Atem snarled again low in his throat. His tail lashed again, swinging painfully back and forth. But his body was too heavy and he could not fight it. Now, while this bastard was struggling, would have been the opportune moment to cut through him.

Finally, slowly, however, as its flanks ceased their constant collapsing, his challenger turned to him.

"I couldn't beat you matching brute strength," it revealed, eyes brightening further. A simple shake of its head shed away some of the crusted mud around its face and Atem watched the flakes with growing interest. "And it took me  _moons_  to figure out how to use a net properly. I stayed with the humans for almost a year, begging them to teach me."

"And they did?"

How interesting. He had never known a dragon to go to humans and truly receive the help they requested.

"No." The dragon deflated slightly and Atem could see the glow of an orange streak where the sunset touched the black of its beak. It sighed and its wings drooped for only a moment before the dragon again grew pleased. "I had to hide and shadow them because none of them would teach me."

There was a moment of silence. Atem studied him, the ache in his gut burning him. He wanted to raise his head, to look at him more fully. But he was unable to. The net weighed too much. He wouldn't be able to stop him if he decided that this was the perfect opportunity to force himself upon him.

He wanted to growl but fear seemed to swallow him whole.

Finally, slightly curious or perhaps confused, the other dragon tilted his head, voice thoughtful. "I remember them being much nicer when I was younger."

Something about the oddly misplaced nature of the comment made Atem calm slightly. His tail flicked but his throat did not feel swollen as it had before. But the anger was still there, boiling within his blood.

"Yes, well, the humans age rapidly and thus their judgments change with them," he growled, lashing his tail now. "They develop much bias and disregard for themselves and others."

Now his opponent watched his tail with wary eyes, shifting his body as if to bunch his muscles together and make himself smaller. "I'm going to pull the net off of you in a second." He eyed him again, their gazes locking fully for the first time. He didn't look as if he wanted to overpower the God Dragon or force him to remain upon his belly like this. "But I want you to swear that I've won, that you concede, and you will not kill me because I am going to let you go."

Atem peeled his lips back further on both mouths, so that the ridges of his teeth rose further. He snarled angrily now, the rumble so deep that it seemed to make the very air quake. His wings had begun to throb, the netting bearing down so forcefully that he felt they might snap from the pressure. He snorted and lashed his tail, biting out, "I am not unjust. I play my games honorably. I do not challenge other dragons without the intent of upholding my own end of such bargains. I swore to you that if you could pin me I would see you as victor. You have done so."

He shook his head. "I know that you are honorable, Atem," he answered in such a gentle voice it made Atem quake, "but I also know that you're angry. And I know how unreasonable such emotions make us."

The Sky Dragon thumped his tail, folding the scissors of keratin and scale shut tightly once more. "My wings ache too much to attack you," he pleaded in a small voice, not above the urge to beg him for release. "I'm tired."

The other dragon let out a disgruntled noise that almost sounded pained by his words. Atem watched him as he sprang forward to grab the net where it encompassed the crown of red spikes that rested on his head. Atem stared at an underbelly of pure muscle, the scales smooth and solid, with the formation of strength that spoke greatly of Wind Dragon genetics.

Then he closed his eyes tightly as claws lightly scraped the surface of his head in order to grip the rope and metal properly. Thank the gods his heavy breathing had pushed it from his mouth before now, as the other did not pause before launching himself into the air. There was the smallest gust of wind as it hovered, barely flicking the tips of its wings now, and very slowly bunched the material up in his paws. They pulled it upwards, oddly gentle in the action, considerate of the elongated spikes along his back where he was still bristling fearfully.

It took only a moment for him to feel it lift away. Atem scrambled for his paws, raced forward a few steps, and turned back. His tail was lashing and his wings felt caught at his sides. The net dropped loudly next to a boulder he'd been beside, and at the ends he could see large black stones. The dragon had weighted them enough to hold him.

He snapped his wings up immediately, head turning and craning to inspect them. There did not seem to be any true damage. His wings appeared as leathery and firm as they always had, without the slightest touch of blood or broken bone. He flexed them further, but they did not appear to be truly harmed.

It bewildered him.

They had been aching beneath the weight of the net. But they were still perfectly unscathed.

"Are you all right?" the other dragon asked in a gentle, concerned voice. He looked scared for only a fraction of a second as Atem spun upon him angrily. "Are your wings okay? I didn't harm them, did I?"

He lashed his tail and snapped his teeth, flexing his claws for a moment. Then he looked away again for a split second. The lack of weight did well to make his skin tingle for a heartbeat. He watched him from the corner of his eye.

He looked very familiar to him now, without all of that mud and clay scent clinging to his form. Atem tilted his head. "Who  _are_  you?"

The other dragon blinked wide blue-violet eyes. Then he flicked his wings. The rest of the flakes of mud began to fall away from the force of the action. They fell in soft shavings, drifting minutely in the air for a moment or two before landing at his feet comfortably. The dragon shook himself out again, like a wet dog, and his entire body rippled with muscle and glittering scales.

Atem was frozen at the very sight of him. Dread crept through him and his first impulse was an aggressive one. He wanted to launch himself at him again, tear through his armor and claw him to pieces.

He knew those gems that appeared within the other's scales, perfectly circular and lined in brilliant silver the shade of polished metal. He recognized the blood red sheen of them, the way they glittered even without the direct touch of sunlight. They trailed the entirety of his muscular body, falling into nonexistence only where the tail came to a complete end.

The gleaming black—much darker than even that of his own underbelly—was unmistakable. As it had before, it reminded Atem of staring directly into the night sky forming around them. His eyes were glittering in the dark, more playful than he had ever seen another dragon when they peered at him, and it was odd to behold such simplistic emotion aimed at him.

The jump the dragon loosed, a joyful spring of motion, allowed Atem the sight of his long claws where they hooked delicately at the end. They were made for burrowing, for cutting, for climbing sheer stones. They were made for  _evisceration,_  as Atem's own were, but these could cut further, could rip through the intestines  _as_  they were tugged through the underbelly.

He looked at the fangs that protruded from the sides of his mouth. He was hopeful for the smallest millisecond—oh gods was he  _hopeful_ —that he was wrong. And then he saw the tips, where they curled inwards and the length of them, the way they sat close enough for the dragon to slide his jaw and sharpen a tooth upon them, and his hearts plummeted.

He'd lost…

And he'd lost to a…

"You're a Gandora Dragon."

"And you're a Slifer," the other quipped, not the least bit deterred by his use of the human name of his species. He took a seat again, eyes bright and warm with excitement. "But I prefer my given name, don't you, Atem? Or shall I call you Slifer instead?"

He blinked and bore his immense teeth for a moment. He had the very intense urge to simply snap his tail and send the other flying. He was so close to him…

"Why yes, of course," he sneered bitterly. "I had forgotten that my suitor had not given me the courtesy of his name."

The other dragon frowned noticeably now, tilting his head to the side. Again he seemed almost to fold in on himself as he tucked his wings tighter and wrapped his tail around his paws.

"My name is Yugi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a note about the dragons. They call their feet "paws", the tips of their mouths "beaks" and the bases of them "muzzles". So, basically, rather than the nose that a dog or cat would have, they have a sharper, muscular hide of scale which they call their beaks. Where it rises towards the eyes it becomes a muzzle, and beyond that, it should be the usual anatomy for any other animal. They don't associate their own body parts with human bodies because they have a human form that they can take on (and no, it's just mentioned in this story but it'll be used in the future multi-chapter I have planned) and so they differentiate their forms in that manner.


	2. Atem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh  
> Update schedule: Part three on 16th  
> Story Warnings: Mentions of Asexual Reproduction, Mentions of Sex Change, Mentions of Past Kills, Mentions of Past Suitors, Mentions of Death, Mentions of ATTEMPTS at Forceful Mating, Mentions of Past Wounds, Mentions of Past Sibling Abuse, Dragon Sex/Animals Mating (part three), SLIGHT Harm During Sex, Sexual Content  
> I didn't go much into detail, but Seto OBVIOUSLY isn't a Blue Eyes in this story as he's a Sky Dragon and not a Lightning. He's modeled after the Felgrand Dragon, Bakura is modeled after the Hunter Dragon, and Malik is modeled after Ra. I needed a basic color scheme for the other three (Seto and Malik gold, Bakura silver) and I use the Hunter Dragon all of the time in Duel Links and Felgrand seemed more Seto in style. Try not to picture it too hard. It might just be me who sees it lol  
> Anyways, so, the mating rituals will come in more detail during the actual scene next chapter.  
> Have fun.

Part II: Atem

"You're a Gandora dragon," Atem spat furiously. His tail lashed, the end opening to display the blades for only a moment. Then he stared at him, eyes full of spite, as the scales along his spine began to elongate once more. "Why would you even come here? This is not your native land. It is not even as if I might be capable of procuring offspring for you, in any regard. You are  _half_  Fire Dragon. Sky Dragons cannot breed with  _Fire_."

Yugi blinked, startled by the aggressive tone, and then tilted his head in slight bewilderment. "It has nothing to do with whether you can provide me with eggs," he whispered after a long moment. His eyes flickered away, the pupils slit beautifully down the middle of his irises, before very slowly growing wider, stretching and flipping onto their sides. Atem stiffened and, bewildered by the open display of distress showing within his gaze, for once he truly found himself grateful that his own eyes lacked such a mechanism of display, for Yugi would have seen it double within his own. "I never suspected you  _could_  give me a nest."

"Then why have you come here?" he snapped, sniffing and looking at his wings again. They still felt so heavy. But they seemed okay for the most part. Even when he bothered to flex them, they held firm and powerful despite their visible droop. Yugi looked incredibly crestfallen, smaller than he'd ever seen another dragon appear before. It startled him, the sight of it causing his hearts to skip beats, and the display of emotion daunted him. He'd never known a dragon to show such sorrow or misery before in mere conversation. He'd seen it after winning, when they had been utterly  _convinced_  of his loss formerly. Even then, however, it had not been true sorrow to grip them but rather bruised pride and frustration. "You came here to mate with me…"

And then he wondered at this idea.

Had he simply come here to humiliate him instead?

Had he come here to simply beat him and brag?

Atem's stomach sank and he swore all six of his hearts shut down in a shuddering rasp within his chest. He could not imagine the many various challengers that would come upon this loss being announced. So many of them would come to seek him out, attempting similar routes to victory. And then how long might he be able to hold them off?

Yugi had  _tricked_  him.

And he had barely even been able to lay a claw on him before he'd fooled him.

How foolish of him to believe that another dragon might be fair.

Why be fair to the God Dragon with two mouths?

So many of them simply wanted to use him as a key for power alignments. If a God Dragon was the forefront of their allegiances, whether by friendship or mating, their territory was almost guaranteed to remain untouched by another. There would likely be no battle for terrain or any hardship to greet their lifetimes.

And so many of them more simply wished to use him to produce nests upon nests of eggs. Not one of the dragons he'd had as challengers had been interested in the thought of a single mate. There was no dedication as there should have been.

Sky Dragons mated for life.

And should he have eggs, he would have to fight fang and claw for them while an unfaithful mate ran about to reproduce with copious others. If he was tied to a Wind Dragon, he would see them but once a year—if even that—with the unpleasant knowledge that they had mounted another of the same species days or weeks or perhaps even minutes prior.

And then he'd be forced to lay on his stomach and allow it to happen again and  _again_.

He could only take such actions for so long before the inevitable happened and he killed them. Being devoted emotionally to another did not ensure that his hatred would not surpass even his eternal instinct to wait on and satisfy his mate. There would be nothing to keep him from snapping and destroying them.

Water Dragons would force his movements to be dictated by their impulses of moving about and he'd rarely see the sky, as their regions were so close to the oceans themselves. And then he'd have to go underwater with them, have them constrict around him until he produced an egg. They were far more callous when it came to the hatchlings as well, as a male was far more likely to eat them than raise them. The females had to attempt to get to them first, risking painful attacks in retaliation, and would then flee before the males got their claws on either of them. And, if they should truly be unlucky, they would not recover from the pressure in time and be forced to watch the males eat and then go through it a second time. They would then be pumped until either they could produce no more and the male then left to find another or  _then_  be forced to flee their wrath. And they had to be faster than the male in question. Or otherwise it would  _begin anew_.

And Lightning Dragons were often more or less sterile at first. Their inability to mate properly on the first try made the experience all but excruciating. Their barbs set off electrical surges through the system that could potentially stun or kill another dragon. The males usually had to mount up to ten times to produce sperm and the females so often were exhausted because of the brutality of it all.

But Yugi was part Fire Dragon. And Fire Dragons  _poisoned_  their mates to effectively force them to remain docile. The females hated to mate so much that they often tried to fight and kill the males before they might properly mount them. And the males not only poisoned, but they would grab the females by the neck and shake them limp whenever they stirred in order to keep from being forced off. Fire Dragons had the  _most_  to lose in the mating game, forced to either lay beneath a suitor that would immediately flee after being all but beaten or risk being killed if they could not woo their potential mate.

But he'd heard more about their barbs and mating rituals than anything. Not only was the mounting itself incredibly painful due to the poisoning and then being shaken limp upon stirring, they also had a much larger organ, one which had to be buried extremely deep after a particularly painful thrust that could potentially tear.

Then it could last for  _hours_  and the females were forced to  _feel_  their release inside of them as it moved because it  _burned._  It was a concentration of heat so intense that it numbed the mind and could even damage nerve endings.

"You did this simply to humiliate me, didn't you?" Atem said slowly, his golden eyes narrowing. All Yugi could see there was absolute hatred, with the smallest definition of despair there as well. " _That_  is why a Gandora ventured all the way from his home territory. Not because you held interest in truly breeding, but because you caught whisper of a God Dragon killing off suitors and you determined it would be fun to force them to mate with you."

Yugi was floored by the accusation, visibly startled and shocked. His eyes grew wide, at first with horror towards the very idea, and then with distress and dismay. Then he breathed in deeply, blue-violet eyes becoming almost uniform in color, and looked at him with a miserable expression.

"They truly did a number on you, didn't they?"

Atem blinked. The question was so defeated and irrational that he could not do much more than stare blankly. "Hmm?"

"Your brothers." Yugi was bristling now. He lashed his tail angrily and a tremor of pure ferocity and open hatred came through him. "They're the reason you're so closed off and hateful. They told you your mouths were—"

The other dragon was on his feet immediately now, tail lashing furiously. The gem that rested on his forehead began to glow much brighter with his anger. "You dare to pretend to know such things?" he spat, his bottom mouth twitching with the urge to open wide and sink his teeth into his throat. "I will only ask you one more time. Who  _are_  you?"

Yugi grimaced now and his own long tail went back and forth in an irritable throw of flesh. The silver spears of muscle along the outer side of his wings glinted fiercely when he opened them slightly. But he had begun to look exhausted now, as if the very weight of the question was overpowering. "I used to live a couple of miles west of your nest," he finally answered, tilting his head to the side. When he shifted his weight his wings gave Atem a better view of the couple of bones that protruded out of along the joints, between each of the gems that lay there. The black dragon's expression had become crestfallen and his wings drooped now as well, his former determined expression lost. "I was about six moons when you fled your nest."

Atem bristled now, flexing his claws so that they sank further into the earth. His entire body was trembling now, enraged, and the scales along his back rose into a taller display of rage. "You…" He snapped both sets of teeth at him and the blades of his tail opened for only a moment. He was shaking harder than ever and, if Yugi had not seen the aggression, he might have assumed he was scared. "You truly  _have_  come here simply for the right to humiliate me, haven't you?"

Yugi blinked wide eyes. A slightly horrified look crossed his face, and then his head tilted slightly further to the other side. His wings tucked tighter, drooping where they outlined his thin frame. His entire expression collapsed and his blue-violet eyes flickered away, the pupils further dilated with distress and dismay. "You and your brothers used to play a few feet from my den. My parents were always really scared one of you might notice us, that your parents would come and dispose of us. They'd been fleeing for a long time before they'd settled there and I was the only one who hatched because of the stress it put on my mom. I would always hide when you guys were out there but I used to sometimes watch too. You were my favorite."

Atem was frozen, staring at him blankly. He'd…? And his parents…? The Sky Dragon blinked wide eyes. His parents would have killed them the moment they'd seen them there. With a nest of four hatchlings and the long years it took for the Sky Dragons to mature, it would have been ludicrous of them not to kill them. He blinked again.

Yugi had said  _he'd_  been his favorite?

Why?

Of the four of them, his color was perhaps the most vibrant but also the most basic as well. Unlike Seto, his scales had not been a brilliant golden and soft silver, so beautiful that it made the metals themselves dull in comparison. And Bakura had a brilliant silver color that looked white in sunlight but gray in the shadows, with an underbelly of black. And Malik had taken the full body of bright solid gold the same shade as the metal, glowing beneath the sun like a flame, with a single bright blue gem in his forehead as well.

Out of all of them, the strongest had been Seto, who had also grown faster than the rest of them. He himself had grown the slowest. Malik had proven the best at his magic and lung capabilities, though Atem had not been far behind him. Bakura had been the most adventurous where Atem himself was all but afraid of his own shadow. And Atem had often scared potential playmates because of his two mouths and the way they naturally seemed to project hostility.

Out of the four of them he was most certainly the least likeable. So  _how_  was it possible that Yugi might decide him the favorite of them?

His  _eyes_  weren't even as pretty as his siblings'. Seto's had been an almost glowing pale blue that had turned a silver shade in sunlight. Bakura had muddy brown that looked almost amber in moonlight. And Malik had gotten the brilliant silky purple of blooming lavender flowers.

Yugi hesitated, unsure of what more to say for a brief moment. Then his tail lashed from side to side to stir the dirt beneath it, and he let out a sour breath of pure disappointment. "But your brothers always picked on you so relentlessly. Especially the one with the pale blue eyes. He would knock you around until you cried out. And the brown-eyed one liked to see how long it would take you to grow back your claws when he decided to tear them off. And the purple-eyed one liked to knock you out of the air or throw you underwater and hold you there."

Atem snarled low in his throat, eyes blazing. "I am the one who lived with them, who suffered at their whims. I do not need  _you_  to tell me what I went through."

Yugi shook his head and frowned at him. He flexed his toes, wiggling them with slight anxiety, and for the first time Atem noticed the tops of each had bright red gemstones outlined in soft silver. "You were my favorite because you never gave up on the idea of forgiving them. You never gave up on the idea that maybe they would grow out of that phase and eventually just see you as their younger brother. But you were always so much smaller than them and a lot kinder too. I used to watch you play in the river sometimes when you were alone, because you would catch the fish by their tails and then gently release them again. And then you started doing it less and less and I saw how tired you started to look. The last time you did it, I saw how much you really didn't care for it, and I knew then that you had lost your spark for all of it."

Atem blinked, stunned. He'd seen him doing that? It was amazing that he'd managed that entire time never getting caught by his siblings. But they had always ditched him for certain intervals and not returned for hours on end. When he would sense them coming, he'd turn and lay back in the den.

"I saw you a few days before you left," Yugi continued, tilting his head and watching him with wide eyes. "You looked so haggard then. Who was the one to carve into your side with their claws like that?"

The Sky Dragon stayed quiet and his eyes flickered self-consciously towards the spot in mention. It had long since healed, leaving not even a scar, though the wound had encompassed his entire side for moons after he'd fled and gone on his own.

"Seto," he finally muttered softly. He remembered how bloody and raw it had been, how terribly painful it had remained for  _moons_  afterwards. "Bakura and Malik held me down for him and he clawed my side open for the fun of it."

Yugi tossed his head back and forth, snarling. "He had  _no_  right!" he burst out, tail lashing again furiously. The hate in his bones made him quiver again and he bore his teeth as his head snapped towards him. "I couldn't believe they would do that to you. I almost went out there to help you! I saw you bleeding so badly and I almost tried to go out there but then you started cleaning it and I guess I thought that maybe that meant you knew what you had to do to heal it…"

Atem felt his side twitch for the smallest of moments. The very thought of the wound was almost enough to bring the burning ache back to the surface of his mind. His tail lashed in a self-conscious jerk of muscle, almost overwhelmed by the very memory, and then he drew it closer to himself, as if to tuck away along his body.

The blades were still open when he brushed them lightly against his skin as if perhaps to stroke at the former wound. He shifted his weight, flexing his wings only slightly, and turned his head towards the ground with a soft tilt. With a sense of unhappiness, Atem folded his wings far enough to drape over his lean sides, shielding them entirely.

Yugi looked away, a slightly hurt but mostly dismayed expression upon his face. "I'm sorry, Atem," he said quietly, "I should have tried to help you that day."

"You were barely six moons old by then," he scoffed, voice scornful, but he did not discount the plea for forgiveness the other's tone held. "What could you have done for me?"

"Been there. I could have talked to you. Maybe it would helped you. It…it wouldn't have hurt any less, but I could have offered some comfort." He opened and closed his mouth as he struggled to think of something else to say. Then he deflated again, drawing his wings closer to his sides. "I feel terrible, Atem. I watched all those things happen to you and I never did anything to help you—"

"My bothers would have killed you should you have stepped in. And if your parents had interfered, mine would have slaughtered them." Atem watched him with a slightly embittered expression upon his face. He flicked his tail again, the keratin blades slightly tickling his skin. It flexed again, twitching, and he blinked slowly. "The death of three dragons for the sake of one alone is not a fair trade in any manner, Yugi."

The black dragon lowered his head, a glimmer of shame entering his eyes. "Yes, I know," he said in a tone that sounded somewhat agonized but worn out as well. "But I…I still regret it, Atem. I still wish… Every time I think back to that moment, I just wish I was older or smarter or…or just something."

"You were smart enough to resist interfering. You are alive now because of it. You have some form of a survival instinct." Atem fell silent again and looked at the ground for a moment. The seconds passed and the Sky Dragon moved slowly closer to him, hesitant as his stomach twisted. When he found himself entirely unable to move towards him any closer than those few inches, the Sky Dragon finally stretched his forelimb out. He cuffed him gently along the shoulder, making Yugi yelp in shock and turn to him with wide eyes. "That does not explain your being here now, Yugi."

The reprimand was soft, almost gentle, and the black dragon was shocked by the easy timbre. It was enough to coax Yugi to look at him completely now. "I didn't know if it would be you or not," he admitted in a soft, somewhat shaky voice. "I…I had come to hear of a Sky Dragon that had begun to kill their suitors and it made me remember all of the pain that you had gone through before. It made me think of your vile brothers and I…I had come to realize in some small part of me that it  _had_  to be you."

Atem blinked and tilted his head slightly. It was a lot of faith to be placed upon intuition and hope. It was something he himself did not think he had the heart to do.

"But some part of me was also hoping from the stars to the earth that it was not. Because, should it be you, then it meant that you had become too hurt and angry to care any longer. And that scared me and hurt so much to consider should it be applied to you."

The Sky Dragon considered him. "My mother called me a coward," he commented softly, a curious undertone lining his words, and a smirk crawled across both of his mouths. "Right before I killed her."

The black dragon was frozen in his horror, eyes wide and owlish. He opened and shut his mouth, then blinked when Atem snorted loudly and shook his head with amused eyes. Yugi reacted instinctively, laughing, and rose up onto his haunches to press his front paws into his chest and shove him gently. "You jerk. I thought you were being truthful!"

The Sky Dragon chortled softly and shook his head. "No. I would never dare to lay a claw upon my parents, let alone kill them. For as much as I thought they did not care about all the damage done to me, I realize now that they did not truly know. Seto and Malik and Bakura would tell them stories to cover up for whatever they might have done. And I was so young and incredibly foolish then. I would agree and say I had broken a claw upon landing improperly. Or that I had crashed into a boulder or a rocky outcrop and harmed my side."

Yugi watched him twitch his wings but did not miss the way the gem on his forehead darkened faintly with misery. The gentle shake of his head was small and almost unnoticeable.

"But my mom did come to track me down. And she did attempt to talk to me. But there was an Earth Dragon that simply would  _not_  leave me alone. She kept leering and leering and  _leering_  and finally I told her that should she be capable of besting me in a competition of flight, I would become her mate." Atem tilted his head and considered the scene which played in his head at the words. He studied the truth of these words and felt almost sickened by the very concept. "When she failed, she attempted to impale herself on me. So I tore her throat out with my claws. My mother was absolutely amazed and horrified. She left soon after I assured her I was okay."

Yugi shivered, blinking at him, and slowly lowered his paws to the ground again. His hearts were racing as reality slammed into him. Atem had not shown even the smallest hint of anger towards the touch. "I can't believe she tried to forcefully mate with you," he said softly, slowly, shaking his head slightly and trying his hardest not to show his amazement. He didn't know if Atem had consciously resisted pulling away from him or had simply failed to fully notice.

"Why not? I am often told by my male suitors that I will be mounted until I can no longer use my lungs and my entire body is filled with seed." His voice was full of disdain as he blinked and lashed his tail slightly once more.

Yugi felt his hearts begin to ache as he looked at the dismissive expression that crossed the other's face; he almost appeared bored. The black dragon wanted to draw him close and hold him tightly. Atem had grown used to all of these numerous threats. He had grown familiar with all of those dragons telling him such things.

And he should never have had to.

"Or that they might strip me of my wings if I squirmed too much. I think one told me that he would kill me and bring me back by giving me his heart."

He stared, horrified, and the younger dragon felt his stomach knot as he shook his head again. How much abuse could one take before they snapped? It was no wonder that Atem had begun to kill his suitors so violently.

"Of course, considering he was a Fire Dragon, I doubt that it would have been possible as it is." The Sky Dragon fell silent for a long minute and a half, golden eyes narrowing faintly. Then, finally, slowly, he turned his attention away from the earth under his claws to settle his full focus upon Yugi again. A faraway look in his eyes had just begun clearing as they locked gazes. "You may have won, but I imagine that I shall still kill you after it is all over."

Yugi blinked and his expression was incredibly troubled now, hurt and growing bewildered. "You would kill your mate?" he asked slowly, tilting and shaking his head as he stared at him in growing pain. "Even though Sky Dragons mate for life? You would never be able to bring yourself to breed with another dragon."

"Yes, and what is your point?" he sneered spitefully, lashing his tail again. He almost assumed to do as his siblings had when they were younger, leaning forward and flicking their tongues. But the action was far too hateful and condescending and so Atem shook it away. "I did not ask you to do this. And you are  _not_  my first choice by any means."

Now the Gandora bristled and jumped to his feet, snarling as his tail lashed and his claws flexed. He was breathing hard as he spat, "Why not? You have no idea who I am or what I might be able to give you! I could love you as you so deserve and you will not even grant me a chance to show you that?"

The Sky Dragon blinked, long and slow, tilting his head and watching him with flickering golden eyes. "As I deserve?" he drawled, voice curious but slightly laden with confusion as well. "Because you think that you might know the things which I have come to deserve?"

"Maybe I don't. Maybe I have no idea, but I do  _care._  I care for you so much, Atem. And I  _know_  absolutely that you have  _never once_  deserved to be dealt the punishments your brothers gave you. They didn't have any right to harm you for being smaller than them or because you bear the mark of the God Dragon or simply because you grew the slowest or you were kinder than them. I also know that you did not deserve to have so many power hungry dragons sent your way because of it!"

The power in his voice shocked Atem. The sheer determination and strength of it made him almost tremble with bewilderment. The moment passed, however, his sheer audacity catching up with and overwhelming him. Yugi flexed his wings and then ducked his head in growing embarrassment as he dropped them again and the tip of his tail flicked back and forth. His eyes fell downwards onto the stone near his claws and he was too shy to raise his gaze again.

"If I was older I would have come here a long time ago. But I… You were already almost half-grown by the time I first saw you and I loved you then. And… I-if I could have prevented it, Atem, I would have. But I was too small and I didn't have the necessary control of my magic. And I…"

Atem considered him for a long moment. "You were but a hatchling back then. How might you possibly call it love?" he murmured softly, blinking and tilting his head with a slightly bewildered expression. "You were new to the world, a mere six moons, and you think that you fell in love with me?"

His skeptical tone made the other dragon's head snap up. Yugi's beak nearly brushed his as he learned forward, snarling. "I did! I fell in love with you the  _moment_  I first saw you. You were the sweetest Sky Dragon I had ever seen. And you were so gentle and…and  _beautiful!_  And you didn't want to harm anyone or anything. Your siblings were monsters—cold, heartless monsters. I hated them  _so_  much for all of the things they did to you. And I  _wish_ —by the gods, do I  _wish—_ I could have helped you. And I wish I could have saved you all that heartache and emotional pain. I truly wish I had the ability to. But the most I can do is prove it to you now."

The red dragon closed his eyes again, tilting his head somehow further to the side. His tail lashed slowly, thumping when he unsheathed the feathered blades and hummed softly. "You could not have saved me."

Yugi flinched. "Not then."

"You cannot rescue me now, either." Atem thumped his tail again, opening his eyes and moving the smallest inch closer. He could feel the scales along his back rising into a furious bristle as he flexed his claws to keep from bolting. What  _was_  this? "But if I do this with you, I shall kill you the moment you should ever drift. I am not going to be the helpless mate who stays within the den and waits for the other to come along for some fun before they might wander again."

The black dragon blinked wide blue-violet eyes, lowering his head with a sheepish but excited expression. When he angled his throat, Atem stiffened and bristled further. His golden eyes were thrice as large as usual. "If you Claim me, I won't be able to," he commented. He stretched his neck out slightly further and watched him with such ease and simplicity that it shook the other to his very core. The underside of his scales looked so beautiful and smooth, soft in an odd way, and Atem could feel ripples of disbelief spread through him like waves. "I would never, regardless. You have and always will be the only one I have  _ever_  wanted, Atem. But I will let you do it if it will give you peace of mind."

Atem felt his stomach twisting and knotting hideously. He tilted his head once more, unable to think straight as they studied each other. Parts of him recoiled with disbelief, others swelled with wonder, and the two were at such war within him that he almost could not remember how to breathe.

Yugi wanted him to Claim him? He wanted to initiate such an important ritual with him? That was something meant only to be done by dragons that had been mated for almost a lifetime. It was for those who felt utter devotion to each other, so completely that they were willing to share their emotions and thoughts.

It was not something meant to inflict punishment or sentence another to go against their own nature.

"No."

Yugi blinked, bewildered, and his expression fell as he looked at him. "No?" he whispered, his wings drooping more than ever now. He stared at him, hearts aching.

Atem drew in a deep breath, then closed his eyes tightly. "I will not Claim you for the sake of making sure that you fail to stray from me. That is not… I can give you the courtesy of trust until you come to prove me wrong."

The Gandora perked up faintly now, eyes glowing with delight, and lifted his wings slightly with growing excitement. "I won't prove you wrong!" he answered in something of a vow. He watched him with wide,  _beautiful_  eyes, and trembled with his elation. Atem stared at him, shocked, tilting his head, and his insides warmed faintly at the peculiar sight. Was he truly so happy to have his agreement? Maybe he really had somehow managed to fall in love with him. "I will always be completely faithful to you, Atem. And then, maybe we can Claim each other later, when we're used to each other and you come to love me in return."

Atem snorted and shook his head, chortling. "What is it that makes you think that I am capable of love, Yugi?"

Yugi failed to answer him for a moment. Then, without pause, he sprang to his paws and nuzzled Atem's forehead with a deep, gusting exhale. His tongue flicked out from between his teeth, passing from the tip of his beak to the very top of the crown of spikes on his head. Then he pressed his paws into his primary breast plate and looked into his bewildered eyes. "If you weren't capable of it, you would have killed your sibling when he saw you last."

Atem stiffened, shocked. "How do you know about that?" he asked in a near demand. Then he paused and his eyes grew wide before narrowing in mocking disapproval. "You're the one who marked my favorite river! You peed all over my favorite hunting spot!"

The black dragon withdrew and covered his eyes with his large paws, whining pitifully for a long moment. "I know. I'm sorry! I got really excited when I found out it truly  _was_  you and you had just been there and I totally just lost control and peed  _everywhere._ " He hesitated, then looked at him and ducked his head. "But, I…I saw Seto there when he was leaving. You had wounded him pretty badly but left him alive. I thought for a little while that he was going to try to court you and I guess between the rage and the excitement I just wound up marking there… I'm sorry?"

It wasn't unusual for siblings of certain types capable of doing so to try to purify the bloodline when it had become too watered down. They would try to breed a nest or two and then usually disappear altogether. They didn't truly mate for fear of inbreeding, but they would attempt to asexually produce in which one would lay the eggs and the other might fertilize.

Seto, however, Yugi would never place above forcing his brother onto his belly for the fun of it. He'd probably court and overpower him for his own laughter. And the black dragon was disgusted by it all. The bastard would have done it for the last bit of empowerment it would have given him to beat his brother so far into submission…

Atem chortled loudly and then moved to butt his shoulder with his head. "You're sorry? You actually saved me from three different dragons that wanted to try courting me a couple of weeks ago." He blinked and pulled away after a few seconds. His golden eyes were a small shade darker. "But aren't you a very self-entitled little dragon? I cannot believe you assumed you might best me like this."

"I didn't, in all actuality. Like I said, I couldn't take you in light of brute strength. And I know for a fact that my magic is nowhere near as controlled as yours." He swallowed and his tail moved to wrap around his paws. "But I had no idea if I could truly trick you either. I was amazed when you fell for it."

He huffed. "I think your lack of boasts and leers managed to unbalance me." But he also did not assume to have ever thought that another dragon might use human ways as a means of victory. He flicked the tips of his wings and glanced at him sideways, curious. "The tighter turns you displayed did well to slow me. I commend your cleverness."

Yugi raised his head, his chin tipped slightly upwards as he basked in the reluctant praise. He shivered once, and this time Atem knew it to be budding excitement. He had not lashed out at him again so there was no reason for him to be fearful. The red dragon tilted his head, smiles tugging at his mouths, and turned away from him again. A Gandora dragon…

How had he not known?

But then…he had never met one before. How strange to see a dragon predominantly Fire come to a place like this. And he'd come there for him, a dragon with the capabilities of summoning rainstorms without the smallest sense of unease. He had traveled here without even the truest sense of the danger he could have potentially placed himself in.

All because he'd wished to see him.

To win him over.

Atem looked at him again. His claws flexed as he sunk them into the dirt, the tip of his tail tracing a long path along his formerly wounded side. He was partially inclined to rub it over that flank once more, as if it might soothe the past ache. But the gash had been gone for so long he almost could not remember the way it truly looked but for the blood. And he did not wish to reveal that the very idea of it reminded him so greatly of his brothers pinning him as Seto raked his talons upon his underdeveloped scales in pure delight.

He flicked the tip of his tail again, this time with agitation rather than reluctance or sorrow. The blue-eyed dragon had come to him for food and aid when he had been attacked and driven from his mate and territory. He had foolishly asked that Atem help him to reclaim it. And, had it been Malik or Bakura, he might have truly killed them. But there had been something in his eyes, a sense of desperation and broken pride, that had been  _just_  enough to temper his rage.

But it had done nothing to prevent his attack. Atem had gouged his side and left a wound upon half of his face that went from the top to very bottom of his jaw, barely missing his right eye. He hoped it scarred, becoming a permanent reminder of his power. And he hoped Seto's mate would be repulsed by it should she ever lay eyes on him again in her lifetime.

Yugi watched the tip of his tail flick again and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at him curiously. He wished he could have reached out and held him, taken away his pain and shielded him from whatever memory he had allowed to come over him. Atem began to twitch again, then flicked the tips of his wings and slowly rose to his paws again.

"I once killed a Fire Dragon for coming too close to me."

The black dragon blinked, startled, and then tilted his head and frowned with an unhappy, almost miserable expression. "Why?" he asked gently, searching his face. "Do you truly dislike that half of me so much?"

Atem blinked and narrowed his eyes, shaking his head slowly with something almost bewildered in his face. "I do not dislike you in such a sense, Yugi. I killed them because I…" He was so quiet that Yugi almost could not even hear him breathing. His spine bristled with unease as the God Dragon slowly turned his head away. "I do not like being forced to my belly."

Yugi stiffened, then looked away. He tried to think of something to say, but what words were there? Even if they stood while they mated, the fact was that Atem was afraid of being mounted. He blinked and closed his eyes and, by then, the other had begun to fill the silence between them again.

"And I didn't want to be…" He flicked his tail. "I didn't want them to poison me and force me to my belly. Or to have them shake me limp. Their mating ritual is painful and each of the dragons to come here wished to mount  _me."_

The black dragon looked away again. Atem had not pursued a mate and to remain idle as he had chosen, accepting challenges, was a more direct trait that females of any species displayed. The only difference was that Atem himself had not shown even the most remote sense of interest, had never given any a sign that he cared to have a mate.

And that would have made any sane dragon wary of even the thought of courtship with him—had it not been for his two mouths. Had he not been born with them, he would have been considered a simple Sky Dragon with red and black scales. But, because of them, he was considered a prize which could know no peace and needed to be completely conquered.

A God Dragon was said to have magic that other dragons simply could not touch, that they were born with immortality which did not rely on human worship in any sense. The legend said that offspring with the God Dragon would be more powerful than any other, with the most probability of survival.

Yugi doubted many—if  _any_ —of his suitors had even noticed the way the sun made his scales glow as if with fire or the thin white stripes that trailed his belly. He did not even think they would have noticed the length of his powerful, thin tail, the way he had to coil it multiple times in order to make it more useful in battle.

Had they ever even noticed that his eyes lacked pupils? Or that he had those claws to the sides that made it appear he had human hands? What of the gem in his forehead, how it darkened with his memories or the shame of such an admittance?

Yugi drew in a deep breath and lowered his eyes for a moment before facing him again. "I don't want to hurt you." He barely suppressed a flinch as Atem turned his head to stare at him with a frosty expression. "I don't want to have to shake you either, Atem. I really don't. And I don't know if I'll even have barbs from the Fire half of me. All I know is that I don't have the ability to release poison. I can't subdue you like that. And I wouldn't even if I could."

The red dragon growled softly, the rumbling low and gentle in his throat. "But you still wish for me to lay for you."

He shook his head slightly, blinking wide eyes. "I want you to be  _comfortable_  mating with me. But that  _does_  involve you beneath me, yes. And I'm sorry that you fear that so terribly, Atem. I wish I could change that too. Your brothers always forced you down and held you there. Or they knocked you off your paws. And I don't…I don't want this to happen if it will remind you of that." Yugi paused and lashed his tail as he flexed his left paw and the claws sank into the ground again. A small noise of discontent and despaired rage came out before he could stop himself. "I love you. I know you don't believe me but I truly do. And I don't want to remind you of that. If it's too hard for you to trust me enough to do this, then I'll allow you to mount me."

Atem's eyes stretched so wide that Yugi felt for a moment that it put the sun and the moon to shame. The shock of his expression made him feel slightly warm, but also incredibly sorrowful. No one would ever have offered that to him, would they have?

He was quiet for a moment before his tail lashed once and then coiled around his leg again. The end opened, sharp gleaming shards of keratin and bone glinting like metal. For a moment it remained there, then snapped shut so forcefully that Yugi could not suppress his instinct to flinch. But he did not flee as his most basic urges demanded. But he could not stop his breathing from growing tighter and faster, and all four of his hearts were racing within his chest.

"Fire and Wind Dragons do not fly high." The simplicity of the statement made the black dragon blink in surprise. Atem was studying him blatantly now, golden eyes narrow with skepticism and the darkness of the shadows that swirled within the sapphire upon his forehead began to turn stormy and tumultuous. But there was something in the way his head tilted slightly to the side that Yugi could consider him somehow hopeful and it was mildly encouraging. When he shifted forward, Yugi had to tighten his muscles in place as if he were going to turn to stone to avoid fleeing.

The red dragon reached for him, hooked his paw around his shoulder, and pulled him a little closer to him. The intimacy of such an action frightened them both. The only reason Atem had ever drawn another close or even drifted within reach of them was to test weakness in armor or rip through soft flesh. If they were ever to be this close, it was so that his tail could cut through their neck.

For Yugi, it was frightening  _because_  of that tail. When he had seen those scythes of bone and keratin, his entire body had locked in place out of sheer terror. That had not changed in the slightest. He did not think it would ever truly change. But he knew all too well the strength that one appendage possessed.

He had seen him once, when he was younger, going to a more secluded spot in the woods to swing his tail into a tree. He had only gotten it halfway through before it had gotten lodged, his younger age and meager muscle leaving him stranded for a few moments. Then he'd used his wings, slamming the powerful muscular appendages into the trunk so forcefully that it had snapped the rest of the way and crashed to the floor.

And, by the gods, if his wings were not one of the most powerful things Yugi had ever seen before. Not only did Atem possess two mouths, he had the most delicate bone structure of the Water Dragon with his long and lean body, the frailty of the Sky Dragon's hollowed skeleton, the claws of a Lightning Dragon and the light weight but powerful keratin and bone of the Sky Dragon's wings. Only they had the ability to go beyond the clouds.

Even Wind Dragons hesitated at the thought of breaching them, because the pressure became too immense, threatening to snap bones even as it weighed them down heavily. Their skeleton was not enforced with keratin nor was it hollow as the Sky Dragon's was, and they could easily be forced from the sky simply from the pressure.

The sheer weight of every species of dragon beyond the Sky Dragon was too heavy to fly as high as the birds might. And some, like the Fire Dragon, tended to stay almost completely on the ground altogether. It was easier for them, because their bodies were heavily weighted with weather-resistant scales of armor that could be almost twenty thousand pounds on their own.

Yugi had been lucky in having the physical definition of his father, with a body type far more like the Wind Dragon than his mother's own Fire. It had been sheer coincidence that they had wound up so close to the Sky Dragons on the mountain. And it had been even more amazing that his parents had both been more loving and faithful than any others he'd met of their respective species.

He looked at him, watching those golden eyes and the gleam of the sky blue orb in that crown of red claw-like scales on his head. The two large tusks on the ends of his bottom muzzle, stretching high enough to touch the lower lids of his golden eyes, glittered in the sunlight. It was somehow shocking to see them and the small glint that hit his eye was almost blinding.

The distraction allowed Atem more room to shift him closer and Yugi let him do so for only a moment or two. Then he twisted around enough to free his wings from the other's forelimb and face him properly. A paw came out, settling between the scythes that rested on his guard plates, and he blinked bright violet-blue eyes at the other male.

"You're also afraid of large bodies of water. And you cannot achieve the same amount of nutrients that I do from my core diet of fish." Atem tilted his head slowly and, as he exhaled, Yugi felt a hot gust of air pass over his forehead. The sensation made his eyes widen. "And I cannot sustain myself on the deer or the oxen, the goats or the horses, that live within the area. It would cease their existence should I ever choose to live on them solely. The oceans are vast. My body is capable of going deep within them in order to eat my fill. But you can do neither of those things."

Yugi flicked the bare tips of his wings and blinked at him again, narrowing his eyes after only a brief moment. "I can eat fish," he argued, huffing a soft breath and watching him closely for a moment. "I don't like them nearly as much as camels or buffaloes, but I don't mind eating them. I would do that for you if that's what it takes or that's what you wanted."

"You grant me power over you with offers to bend yourself to a form I might desire," Atem scoffed, but his voice was oddly soft and nearly warm. His tail flicked his side again, pulling his paw from Yugi entirely. The black dragon's wide eyes stretched tenfold as Atem backed up several steps. He was studying him now, shaking his head slowly. "You have no need to try so hard. It does not change anything. You have won, Yugi. As per our agreement—"

"Obligation should never dictate this! If you don't want this to happen then—"

"I did not say that." The forked, blue tongue within his bottom mouth flicked restlessly as his voice rumbled out of his jaws. Yugi blinked in shock, startled by the action, and more so by the sight of it. He had seen it before, of course, but now it was so close to him that he could spot the faintest texture to it. It was rougher than his own, probably to allow his food to digest more easily upon it scraping against it as it traveled down his long throat.

Yugi was tempted now to sit up much straighter. He wanted to look it over more, but felt blatantly stupid for the very thought. Atem had visibly grown self-conscious now and Yugi could sense it in the way the other dragon growled softly and moved his head to the side. The Sky Dragon feigned interest in checking on the wing closest his face.

"I simply mean to say that if I am to do this, it is binding and I shall be tied absolutely to you. And we are very incompatible in our needs, Yugi. There is no common ground as you require heavier meats and I can sustain myself on fish or birds alone. And you do not swim, nor do you fly to the heights that I do."

"If you're worried about my offer to let you mount me, then you truly needn't be, Atem. I am not sure I can go as high as you might want, but if I can get to the top of the mountain I can maintain it for at least a couple of hours. It's not as long as you might want, but I—"

Atem thumped his tail to silence him now, golden eyes flashing. "Considering that bonding and mating was never in my mind before this moment, I do not have expectations of you or the ritual itself. As for the height of which you are capable of flying, it is a considerably impressive feat for a dragon that is half Fire in species. Fire Dragons are not well-known for their desire to fly."

"I do prefer the ground more often myself, but I don't  _fear_  flying. And I won't say no to letting you do this."

Atem remained silent for a very long moment. Then, slowly, he angled his head to the side and looked upon Yugi's jaw with a thoughtful gleam. His voice was awed and bewildered as it came out in a hiss. "You have offered me much more than I have you."

The black dragon tilted his head, surprised by his words. "You let me challenge you despite your disdain. And I'm still alive now, aren't I? I would gladly allow you to do anything you might need to feel comfortable. I never went through those things you did when you were hatched. I never had brothers to torture me and I was never born with the burden of being a God Dragon from birth. I won't pretend I know all of what you went through, Atem, but if there is any way I can make you feel better or more comfortable or  _happy,_  I am going to try."

Atem stared at him, unable to truly consider his words beyond his initial shock. The sight of this younger dragon in front of him was almost amazing to simply behold. How was it that such a young dragon had come to know these desires? Had his parents mated for life? Or had he truly been there, hiding beyond his sight, in love with him for so long?

He was so  _young_ …

Atem himself had over a hundred years to serve a gap between his own age and Yugi's. And Yugi had to be at the very cusp of maturity, budding into it sexually now even as his mind seemed much older than even Atem's. He could not have been more than a hundred and two years at the most. He was still smaller in this form than Atem and his scales still looked rather soft along his underbelly rather than raw muscle. When he grew older, Yugi would be much stronger, far more muscular and with a great many more hardened scales.

Atem tilted his head again. But to love from six moons? How was that even meant to be possible? He had never heard of dragons being capable of such feeling so extremely early in life.

The Sky Dragon blinked and closed his eyes. "I don't have the ability to articulate how much you have managed to amaze and subsequently baffle me." His tail flicked and thumped once more, slamming hard against the dirt as he huffed out a soft breath. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was soft and somewhat warm and beyond anything Yugi had seen him wear formerly. "You are a beautiful soul to behold. I do not understand your desire to pursue me."

Yugi bristled and lashed his tail, voice coming out somewhat harder in his determination to make the other understand. "I think that  _you_  are  _just_  as amazing, if not even more. And I never want to see you suffer again. I…I truly just wish to see and make you happy, Atem."

The Sky Dragon shook his head slowly after a long moment, then craned his long neck to nudge his jaw with his beak. The younger dragon hesitated, startled more than anything, and then tipped his head enough to allow Atem room to slide his forehead beneath his chin. The red dragon was breathing softly along the line of the pulse, beneath his softer scales, and his hearts began to beat faster as he shivered with open delight.

"Would you still let me Claim you?"

"Yes."

Atem blinked. Yugi had not hesitated. The Sky Dragon considered the speed he'd delivered the word and tipped his head again before slowly pulling back. "And you are not nervous to allow me to mate with you?"

Now Yugi visibly faltered. His blue-violet eyes flickered away and back, voice incredibly small and quiet. "I'm…not going to mislead you and say that. I  _am_  nervous about that. Sky Dragons mate in the air and the only way to separate when you've hooked is for you to throw me. It makes me nervous to consider it at all."

Some small, spiteful part of him was happy to know that he was not alone in his nerves regarding the very action or consequence of their potential mating. But then Atem narrowed his eyes, flicking the tips of his wings for a brief moment and tilting his head further to the side. "Yet, you would do it for me."

Yugi's nod was immediate. "If it would make you happy. Or make you more comfortable, yes."

Atem stared at him for a moment. What a rare little treasure this Gandora actually was. How odd as well. Fire and Wind Dragons tended to be unrelenting when it came to lifestyle. Their temperaments were usually very dominating rather than accommodating. Even Timaeus tended to argue until he ran out of breath when he and Atem butted heads.

"Would you wish to learn to fly higher?" Atem asked quietly, blinking at the suggestion as well. He almost bristled with disbelief, startled by his own words, but found himself growing embarrassed by the very idea. It was still possible that Yugi could grow to dislike him and come to realize he desired someone or something else. It would be crushing to allow him this opportunity and offer so much with little in return. But, if Yugi could do it, then so could he, yes? Surely he should not have to offer such things without some reassurance that Atem would not simply take advantage of his generous heart. The black dragon's eyes were wide, stunned, and seemed almost ten times their usual size. "I taught my friend Timaeus to do so. He's a Wind Dragon. It took a long time for him to build up immunity to the pressure of higher altitudes, but it is possible. Last I heard from him, he had used the technique to impress his new mate."

The Gandora raised his head only a few inches higher, his eyes becoming beautiful and brighter than Atem had seen them formerly. "I would  _love_  to be able to join you up there." He hesitated and his wings tucked further into his sides as his eyes flickered to the ground. "But it's… Atem, I'm scared at just the thought of it."

Then he would do well to change this subject, yes? Or perhaps it would do him better to offer up similar information. But he was not so bold as to truly lay himself before Yugi in such a sense. The younger dragon could remain braver than him for the moment.

The Sky Dragon flicked his tail and got to his paws. "You vow to me that you shall never attempt to overpower me?" he demanded crossly.

The words made Yugi raise his head, bewildered at first before slowly blinking and shaking his head with a small smile.

"I promise."

The red dragon exhaled loudly and tilted his head as he looked him over. "Then come along. We should consummate our union before we commit to anything more."

Yugi blinked and jumped to his feet, his eyes still wide. But, rather than smug or even excited, Atem thought, as he glanced at the younger a moment longer, that he appeared absolutely amazed.


	3. Compromise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh  
> Update schedule: None; Completed  
> Chapter Warnings: Mentions of Asexual Reproduction, Mentions of Sex Change, Mentions of Past Kills, Mentions of Past Suitors, Mentions of Death, Mentions of ATTEMPTS at Forceful Mating, Mentions of Past Wounds, Mentions of Past Sibling Abuse, Dragon Sex/Animals Mating (part three), SLIGHT Harm During Sex, Sexual Content  
> The mating rituals are described in more detail here. But, because it's mentioned but not really put into too much detail, I'm going to explain a little bit more.  
> The Fire Dragons have barbs at the ends of their reproductive organs, which then press and spread outwards due to being attached to the foreskin. From there they latch into the walls of the female and keep hold of them. It's so painful for the females that they will struggle and fight the males off and potentially go as far as to kill rather than have to suffer through it. Most males will poison the females if they're capable of getting close enough in order to do so. They use just enough to overpower and overwhelm them in which the females will be paralyzed. The second part of the ritual is that the Fire Dragon will grab the female by the throat and shake her limp if the poison's effects fade prematurely.  
> The Wind Dragons become enlarged to the point that they knot and stay attached until the swelling resides. Until that happens, the female can basically try to move but wouldn't be able to shrug the male off. They're not entirely painful in terms of mating, but the males are considerably heavier than the females for the most part. So, if the female were to move too much and tried to escape and wasted her energy, she'd probably end up being a flattened pancake of brightly-colored scales.  
> The Sky Dragons end up hooking, which is basically just like a fish hook which catches in the flesh and holds them in place to ensure that they do not separate prematurely. It's NOT painful to the partner for the most part, but it makes it almost impossible for the dragons to separate afterwards. They are then forced to do a sharp spiral dive through the air in order to dislodge themselves without potentially harming their partner. That's what Yugi referred to as being "thrown" in the part two.  
> The mating rituals are based on animal ones. The Fire Dragon is scorpion (poisoning) and ferret (shaking them limp). The Wind Dragon is canine (knotting) and seal (weight). The Sky Dragon is a combination of the Lightning (multiple mountings cause they're infertile at first), Wind (knotting and weight) and Water (constricting the female until they produce eggs). For the Sky Dragon, they get a mix of all three in a way. They have the knotting effect of the Wind Dragon, a fish-hook like extension that is KIND of like the barbs from Lightning Dragons, and a higher fertility rate from the Water Dragon genetics.  
> I went over this part of the story like three or four times. I was going to look it over again today, but I've got some errands to run and a lot of other things to do before work. So if I missed any really bad mistakes or a random word, I'm blaming it on autocorrect and bad sleep patterns and lack of time.

Part III: Compromise

"Are you sure? We really don't have to do this anytime soon, Atem."

"It would get a lot of suitors off my back."

Yugi snorted at the comment and lowered his head slightly, chortling as Atem glanced at him over his wing with a slight smirk. He banked lightly to the side, stretching his legs out to catch himself as he slowed and finally steadily flapped his wings, tucking the edges to slow his descent almost completely to a hover. He landed easily, with such grace that Yugi was momentarily awed even as the Sky Dragon trotted forward a few steps to allow him more room to land as well.

Yugi attempted to mimic Atem's landing, but the black dragon had not seen his paws when he'd flattened them and hooked his claws. So he himself landed in a much more awkward manner, tripping over his own feet with excitement and then growing embarrassment as he realized that the Sky Dragon had turned to face him now. He bobbed his head slightly, then pounced a step to get to his side.

The red dragon watched him curiously for a moment, smirking in amusement as he turned away again. At a time like this, it was a brilliant reminder that Yugi was so much younger than him, so much more excitable and beautiful and soft and naive as well. It made it abundantly clear to him just how inexperienced he truly was, how little of the world and life Yugi  _did_  know. And realization struck him further that the black dragon  _had_  tried his hardest to prepare himself even  _before_  he'd won. He'd perhaps tried to make himself exactly as Atem would need him without the smallest hint of whether he could or couldn't win a place at his side.

It was startling to know this, that Yugi had been so  _willing_  to change and help him to get past his fears. He was willing to do anything and everything for him. He was willing to bend and perhaps even  _break_  at the very desire Yugi harbored for his happiness.

The thought made Atem look away again, feeling rather undone by it. He remembered his mother for a moment, telling him stories of how he would find the perfect mate one day. She had promised that the world would give him at least one dragon, made especially for him. But she had said the same to his siblings as well.

And, when all of the teasing and the abuse and nature of every attempt of courtship being—at its core—a game of status, the embitterment had long since destroyed any desire he'd had to find that potential dragon in question. The belief of another being gifted him as a perfect match for his own needs had become nonexistent to him.

The fact that Yugi was here, having thrown himself into the forefront of a courtship that could have easily resulted in his death had he made the wrong move, caused Atem to question his own disbelief. Yugi was amazingly, astoundingly, mature in spirit, something that belied his young age, and it made him shiver.

In the corner of his eye the other dragon was moving oddly. The Sky Dragon stopped short, turning and tilting his head with wide golden eyes. Yugi was pouncing as a small deer might, excited and graceful in the movement, and he looked incredibly adorable and childish. It surprised him but it was also adorable, almost mesmerizing, to see, and it made him smile slightly even as it caused his hearts to ache furiously within his chest.

His own innocence and disregard had been discarded only mere years after birth. He'd been forced to hide it away and smother even the smallest hints of these things when his brothers might see. Circumstances and constant harassment had made it impossible for him to retain it in any manner. And he felt sick to see Yugi in such childish elation and  _know_  that he himself was incapable of experiencing it ever again.

But perhaps that was okay.

Perhaps the young Gandora dragon could experience enough for the two of them.

The other dragon finally seemed to notice that he had stopped. With startling speed, eyes wide and face openly panicked, he looked around. The scales along his back were stiff, bristling, and his wings were quivering faintly as he failed to spot him. Then he spun around to see if perhaps he was somewhere behind him. In the split second it took the action to pass, Atem felt his lips tug into the smallest of smirks to display his amusement. The sensation surprised him; he could not remember the last time he had truly felt so amused in a relatively long time.

But the sight of such panic did something to his insides. Was Yugi truly so invested in him that simply being unable to  _see_  him had scared him to the point of such emotion? His insides were both warm and splashed with ice as he looked back at him.

Had Yugi assumed him to have abandoned him?

Atem hesitated, shocked by the idea. If there were any truth to such a scenario, it should have been Yugi to abandon him upon their union. But the fact was that perhaps he truly  _was_  the one who might leave the other. The thought was slightly rattling. But, at the same time, it was somehow liberating as well.

He hesitated, then looked down, lowering his bright red head as he began to walk again. Yugi noticed the gem on his forehead was oddly clouded.

"I was just watching you. You looked very happy."

Yugi faltered slightly, tail drooping as he fell in line beside him. Their wings were almost brushing, they were so close, but the proximity simply made the black dragon feel that much worse. Had he made him feel bad somehow? He hesitated for what felt like a lifetime, a new thought springing to his mind.

Then, with renewed vigor, Yugi jumped in front of the older dragon, pouncing as a cat might. He danced around him in circles, leaping and springing as a hatchling would. Then he spun to face him, his wings open and glistening like slate in the sunlight.

Atem blinked, then snorted and leaned forward enough to exhale upon his face. "You're unbelievable," he commented, his brilliant golden eyes making Yugi feel incredibly warm inside.

The Sky Dragon's tone was warm and beautiful, a rumbling which shook the younger to his very core.

He sounded positively  _awed._

It was elating to hear, that soft beautiful voice curled in such a way, but it hurt as well.

Had Atem truly not expected him to be excited to have him as his mate?

Had he truly expected him to treat him as nothing more a prize to be pushed around?

That he truly wasn't happy?

That he wouldn't  _show_  him he was so joyful?

Yugi wanted both to hold him and to remind him again that he loved him more than he knew how to express in words. It was hard to see Atem staring at him in such a way, disbelieving and amused in his bewildered amazement, thrown by his excitement.

"I'll consider that a compliment."

The red dragon snickered and moved to gently nudge him in the jaw with his beak. "It was meant to be one," he murmured, walking around him with a slight lightness to his step.

The younger dragon trembled with excitement again, then quickly spun around to trot alongside him once more. Atem wondered at the effect such simple words had had on this younger male, but did not comment on the way he seemed to jump now rather than simply walk or trot at his side. Instead he lowered his eyes again, glancing about lazily as they reached the summit of the cliff face that seemingly held back the trees beyond it. He flicked his tail, watched his face for a moment, and began to move towards the center of the cliff. A soft, almost unnoticeable, shudder ran through his large wings.

"You  _swear_  to me that you  _do not_  have the ability to poison me?" he demanded, for a moment fighting aside the impulse to simply lash at him with his tail and drive him off. The overwhelming sense of panic that spread through him was swift enough to make him quiver.

He'd heard that the venom felt as if someone had stabbed through them with fire, lightning and ice, and it would travel through the bloodstream like tar. It would be slow and terrible, passing through the body in a sluggish manner which all but destroyed the one to be injected. It would paralyze in such crashing waves of agony, overwhelming and all but killing.

He'd had enough of being harmed physically. The wound carved into his side by Seto, the various claws torn out by Bakura, and the ordeal of nursing bruised wings when aerial tosses performed by Marik sent him to the ground in a heap had made him wary of the possibility. Once or twice the Fire Dragons that had attempted to court him had tried to do so through means of poison. The bites they had attempted to administer had been laced with the venom, their teeth coated in it and their breath wreathed in the bitterness it all possessed.

"I vow it," Yugi said quietly, gently, his voice soft and reassuring even as he tried to sound the most sincere he was capable. He locked eyes with him, shaking his head slightly and studying his face curiously. "I don't have the ability to poison you. And I would never do that even if I could, Atem."

He nodded slightly and turned away again, glancing at the sky as he tried to calm himself. The sun was beginning to drop from the darkened sky, the faintest edges of gold and orange and red forming slivers across the clouds. He bristled faintly and turned back again, flicking his wings and twisting his body to allow Yugi a better view of his hips and hindquarters. The action caused the younger to pause with slightly widened eyes.

"You don't have to lay down," the black dragon said gently. He blinked and tried to shake the impulse to flinch away as he continued looking at the tips of his large, folded wings where they twitched nervously. He moved forward only a step, trepidation making the action somewhat unsteady. "And we really don't have to do this if you want otherwise, Atem."

He shook his head and watched him curiously for a moment. "No, this is what I… Do this with me now, Yugi. I do not know that I will have the courage necessary to do so later." The smallest sense of a shiver began to creep through him and Atem lowered his eyes to the ground. "I'm very… I'm afraid. I don't… Pain is not something I have experienced in a rather long time. Physical ache is not…"

Yugi moved forward quickly now, though he still paused for the smallest of seconds. His stomach was knotted, torn with the desire to reassure him as well as releasing a small noise of despair upon hearing Atem's broken tone. Instead the darker dragon moved to nudge his hip, offering the only sense of comfort he thought Atem would truly accept.

The Sky Dragon tensed, then allowed him to repeat the gesture. He closed his eyes and Yugi nudged a little closer to his hind leg. Atem blinked and lifted it slightly, unsure of what more to do. But the younger dragon seemingly ignored him in order to nip at his hip and coax him to lower it again. His eyes flickered as he turned back to the black dragon, considering him curiously.

The younger dragon nipped at his hip again softly, then moved to rise slightly on his back legs, shifting to rub his jaw along the raised scales of his spine. The gentleness of the action made Atem bristle the slightest bit more and Yugi nudged him again, a soft tap of his muzzle. Slowly, with what the Sky Dragon could only sense as slight trepidation, his beak drifted further downwards towards his underbelly.

Had Atem not reminded himself that he'd agreed to this, that he'd conceded to Yugi as the victor, he would have killed him as violently as he could manage. Now, however, struggling with the very concept of what he had formerly told himself would never come to happen, he simply lowered his head to the ground. His chin scraped against a small stone as he tucked his wings further into his sides. His hearts were unsteady in their racing paces, his body oddly pained with tension as he struggled to smother the urge to simply tremble.

Yugi flicked his tongue along the bottom of his belly, then raised his head to nip gently at the base of his spine again. The scales shook, vibrating, as they rose up and down in slow shudders, and the black dragon regarded them before looking sideways at the older male. "We can stop," he reminded him gently, though a part of him hoped desperately that Atem would deny his fear and urge them forward. "We can always consummate on a later date."

Atem shook his head slowly and closed his eyes tightly, hissing, "Continue."

The permission made Yugi flick his tongue once more. The action of the smooth muscle passing over his scales made the Sky Dragon shudder again, the movement causing a spear of red to brush lightly over Yugi's nose. He nipped at it and Atem bristled further, but the initial reaction fell away again as the black dragon moved a paw to place on his hindquarters. He sank his claws in lightly and pulled slowly downwards, scratching gently rather than pushing or puncturing.

Atem let out a gusting breath, unsure of what more to do. The younger dragon nipped at his hip again and thrummed upon his leg with his paw, scratching gently once more. The Sky Dragon blinked and turned his head, watching bright blue-violet eyes flicker as they regarded him again. The claws slid along his hips again, Yugi's head dipping in order to nip at his heel until Atem hesitantly lifted it.

Yugi licked the heel of his paw again, then bit softly once more as his back arched slightly and his wings tucked more firmly against his sides until they seemed to fold almost completely into his scales. He nipped, licking again, and then moved to nudge his underbelly as he bit more noticeably along the base of his tail.

Atem did not know how he was meant to respond and initially instinct drove him to spin around snarling, snapping his tail into his side to throw him away. Then he would drive his claws through his stomach, cutting through the hardened muscle without a care.

Instead the Sky Dragon slowly flicked his tail and finally lifted and moved the appendage away. The blue-violet-eyed dragon ducked his head again, nudging upon his other leg to coax him to shift his weight and allow him more room. Yugi bit at his tail again, light and sharp, and Atem growled softly in annoyance at the sudden touch.

The noise startled Yugi, who paused his actions to look up with a surprised expression. But Atem was not looking towards him, his head turned completely away towards the trees lying beyond the cliff. His red tail flicked again, long and slow, and he looked incredibly irate now.

Yugi closed his eyes. "Do you still desire this, Atem?" he asked gently, his voice soft and kind. "We are always free to stop. We can wait. If you are uncomfortable—"

"If we cease, I do not expect that I will ever be able to give you another chance," Atem admitted in a low, gravelly tone which had begun to shake along the edges. He opened his eyes and looked back towards him now, fear glittering in his brightened golden eyes. The gem resting in the center of his forehead seemed to shine faintly but the core of it was darkened, stormy and tumultuous. "Do not ask me again, Yugi—I might tell you otherwise."

Yugi watched him for a long time, then slowly turned away. The glance that had passed through their gazes gave him a shiver though he knew the message beneath it as well—Atem was willing to trust him. He was trying. But he was so scared of physical pain that the reminder of being able to leave was something he was trying his hardest to hide from as well.

Finally, somewhat reluctantly, the obsidian dragon rose further onto his back legs, stretching his forelimbs outwards. Long claws and soft paws lay across the Sky Dragon's back, the hooked tips of keratin touching along his scales where they encompassed the more tender muscles at the base of his immense wings. When he stepped closer, Atem's wings were trembling as his sides caved inwards for a split second, and the red dragon had begun scraping his face along the ground as he tried not to snarl and lash his tail again.

His powerful wings flinched again beneath his touch, a sharp and terrible pain lacing through him. A flash of gray dove through his mind, a shadow of memory which nearly knocked him from his paws.

Bakura had thrown him in a similar manner. The silver dragon had launched himself from a point behind him, at such high speeds that when he'd hit his shoulders, he'd knocked Atem straight out of the sky. The blow had torn the joints along his wings, rendering them useless. The pain had been so acute as to be almost impossible to focus upon against the howling laughter of his three siblings, the way they roared and jumped about him.

And Atem couldn't breathe properly as the thought occurred to him that maybe he should truly stop him—

The memories pushed a long, bellowing cry of pain from his lungs. Yugi hesitated, frozen even as he positioned himself properly. The moan was great and terrible, as if something were ripping through him from the inside. The red dragon was scraping his face furiously upon the stones, raising his front right limb to claw at his bottom jaw for a moment. The breath that left him now made dust appear in a gentle cloud as he spat from between his numerous sharp white teeth.

"Continue," he managed to breathe out, gasping for a moment in a desperate attempt to lose some of the tension in his body. This wasn't the same thing, he tried to remind himself desperately. He had to remember that. He had to recall and recognize that.

Seto wasn't there.

Malik wasn't there.

Bakura wasn't there.

_None_  of them were there.

He was with Yugi—but, by the gods, he didn't even  _know_  him. He did not truly know him in any sense of the word. The very most he knew was what Yugi himself had told him and what his own eyes had recorded for him. He knew  _at the most_  that he was a Gandora dragon, black and silver with rows upon rows of rubies in his obsidian scales.

He did not know much beyond that, but that Yugi insisted he was in love with him. And that he had come there after loving him for an impossibly long length of time…

Slowly, with careful precision, Yugi angled his hips and stretched his paws further outwards. His long toes reached out further, those dangerous claws stretching outwards to lay in the front of his muscular wings. The positioning calmed Atem only slightly, a sense of relief warring with his panic, and the new position allowed him much more comfort.

He must have known, Atem realized as his hearts stuttered in his chest. He must have seen and witnessed the attack that had callously ruined his wings for that long moon. He must have realized why he was reacting so terribly, knowing the position to be wrong, and that he had reminded him of the terrible incident.

The black dragon lowered his head, stretched his neck out to give him more room, and slowly flicked his tongue along the back of his scaled shoulders. Atem shuddered but did not try to shake him as Yugi licked again, this time long and slow, trailing it along the immense length of his shoulders to the center of his neck. The touch tickled him but the soft nip to the sensitive scales resting between his wings was far more distracting.

The initial movement to press forward did not truly surprise nor concern Atem. But the sensation of something sliding, slick and hot, inside of him, was enough to make him halt. He was so still that Yugi almost thought he might have turned into stone as a Fire Dragon could, but then Atem shuddered and panted, blinking bright golden eyes. The second sensation to come upon the red dragon was contrary to what he had assumed it would be. It was the most pleasant sense of euphoria, a touch of something which seemingly slid into place as if it had always belonged.

Atem shivered and nearly shook, a small noise escaping his throat once more in a cry which he did not think he truly recognized. The black dragon licked again, nipping at his spine between two shuddering scales, and pushed a little further.

"Are you still all right?"

Atem growled softly, both with fear and the softest sense of delight. "Yes," he breathed out, blinking bright golden eyes and feeling slightly overwhelmed. And he was. He was okay for the moment.

Yugi nodded again, clenching his claws only slightly to grip him around the shoulders once more. "Do you want me to stop, Atem? I don't truly have any idea if I'll get stuck…"

The red dragon was quiet as he blinked and looked over his shoulder at him. He shivered again, blinking, and stared blankly for what felt like hours.  _Did_  he want to stop? He was not truly sure anymore. Part of him was scared by the very concept of Yugi pressing any further into him.

Neither of them knew if he would truly lodge. But the problem was that most likely once Yugi breached the inner muscles, he would become completely stuck there inside of him.

Each of the dragon species had at least one biological tool in which the two mates were prevented premature separation. The Fire Dragon possessed barbs which stretched and sank outwards into the lining of the female's uterus, the Lightning Dragon had its sterility and electrical shocks which allowed the male to mount multiple times, the Wind Dragon swelled until it was impossible to remove themselves, the Water Dragon required active constriction, the Earth Dragon released pheromones that made them discharge at much higher rates than the other species as well as hypnotizing the female. And the Sky Dragon swelled several sizes larger and a hook-like extension would stretch out and sink into the flesh of their partner to keep them tied and knotted together so that they could not fall from the sky.

And Yugi was both Fire  _and_  Wind Dragon in design. He would either swell until Atem could not escape or he would have the painful barbs which would most likely  _destroy_  Atem should he try to flee. Or perhaps he might have both. Perhaps he might clench inside of him and swell until Atem wanted to scream.

The red dragon shook his head, watching him with glittering golden eyes. "You have gotten this far, Yugi.  _Please_."

The Gandora dragon nodded and licked his cheek, then nestled his chin into the center of his shoulder blades. The position, in truth, should have been of extreme discomfort. Atem was lined with rows upon rows of scales which the Sky Dragon had full control of, which he could potentially lengthen and sheer upwards like glittering spears of bone and keratin to stab through him in a single breath. Yet, though they quivered, they otherwise remained lowered and smoothed in that backwards angle, trailing the length of his entire body.

When Yugi finally thrust into him, the initial action nearly knocked them both from their paws. Atem let out a strangled noise, a cry which left him before he could stop himself in any manner. And then Yugi hummed gently, the soft and gentle vibrations surging through the sensitive scales beneath his throat. But, where the noise should have calmed him— _would_  have calmed him—Atem instead felt something else coming with that comforting noise.

There were instantaneous spirals of pain which burst through him violently. His entire hindquarters burned, sparking and exploding, with waves of agony which thrust through his veins. Atem screamed, a noise so unworldly that the sky truly seemed to quake and shatter with it. He clawed at the ground, shaking, and then breathed hard and released another harrowing bellow.

The pain made his entire body shudder and ripple furiously, his wings snapping out and then back in place once more. He screamed again, infuriated and panicked, and clawed at the ground as he tensed the muscles along his shoulders and hindquarters.

Yugi pulled away only slightly, horrified, but his own long claws were still hooked mildly within the softer flesh along the lengths of his shoulders. The wings flapped once, slamming so hard into the ground the sheer force alone was almost powerful enough to launch them into the air. But the bellow made Atem's entire body seemingly collapse within itself beneath his touch as he lunged forward. And he landed on limbs which almost buckled beneath him from the combined weight itself. The black dragon blinked, horrified, staring at the Sky Dragon that was so terrified and panicked beneath him, and then realization slowly struck him.

Atem was trying to scrabble away.

Atem was trying to dislodge him.

And should he manage it, he would kill himself with eternal bleeding.

"Atem—"

"Get off! Get  _off_  of me!" the Sky Dragon spat him. His entire body was shaking as he dragged himself forward a step, pulling Yugi with him. The Gandora dragon bore his teeth, a sense of fear coming over him. Atem was panting, gasping, dragging himself forward and rapidly attempting to throw him off with another distressed upwards leap. The force would have originally launched them into the air and Yugi almost expected his wings to hold them. But the black dragon's weight was too immense for him to support, however, and so he crashed a second time. This time, it was hard enough that he collapsed completely.

He was shaking, but he'd landed with his jaw against the ground hard. The force had caused his teeth to click loudly. He was breathing frantically, shallowly, lying there for only a moment. Then he scrambled to his paws again. The third leap was higher but still not powerful enough.

He landed in a crumpled heap now. He was gasping, panting. His eyes were shut tightly. He was shuddering. He was limp for another moment. And then, by some miracle, Yugi could feel it. His panic was steeling his muscles again. Where the impact of extra weight should have stunned him as it had when he'd been knocked from the sky so many times upon being younger, Atem was struggling to his feet. Sheer willpower and panic was pressing upon him so terribly that he could not stop himself. And it fueled him so well that his fragile frame could draw itself to its paws again.

Atem bellowed again, a long and terrible agonized noise not unlike the painful cry he'd released upon being trapped under the weight of the net.

"You have to stop."

"I can't. It's agony." Atem looked at him over his shoulder, nearly screaming again. He was shaking, thrashing his long tail again. It thumped and slammed into the ground so hard it made Yugi flinch where he remained stretched upon his back. The earth seemed to vibrate from the force of it now. The black dragon flexed his claws again, then flicked his tongue along the back of his neck once more. "I can't do this.  _Please_ —"

Yugi shook finely. "I can't, Atem. I'm stuck. I can't—"

"Please, please, gods, Yugi,  _please_ —"

The black dragon shook his head slowly. It was impossible to dislodge himself from their union. If he were even to try, the bloodbath which would ensue would destroy him altogether. Atem was screaming again, dragging them both forward another step. He was panting, shaking harder than ever, and his flanks collapsed inwards once again.

If he managed to pull them apart—

"Atem, please—"

Yugi narrowed his eyes. Atem would have to forgive him for this. He would have to beg him to do so. He would have to crawl on his belly and endure whatever anger Atem displayed towards him. But for now, he had to stop this.

Yugi did not hesitate any further. He tipped his head to the side, opened his jaws fully, and then clamped them shut again. The scream that left Atem was cut short. The sound gargled in his throat for a moment, pained, and then it rose again, infuriated and hateful. He thrashed pitifully in Yugi's grip, desperate but furious and panicked as well. He tried harder to shake him off, preparing his body for another leap. But Yugi shook his head, at first lightly to test his grip, and then with enough force to visibly toss both of their bodies. The action made Atem seize, frozen in place, for a split second.

The Sky Dragon snapped his teeth furiously, shaking harder. His breathing was erratic. He was barely holding himself up any longer. Yugi could feel the exhaustion in the other dragon as if it were his own. He closed his eyes tightly again. He had to  _do this_. Atem would kill himself otherwise. He had to remind himself of this knowledge, resolving his determination.

And then he tossed his head again. The force of it made his own bones snap and ache in his neck. And the painful action threw Atem sideways a step. Then he panted and quivered again, stumbling. And Yugi tossed his head violently a second time. The pain in his own neck made him want to wail. But Atem began to lose the strength in his body once more.

He thrashed his tail but could not angle it properly. He couldn't knock Yugi in the side with the long appendage. He'd never been able to aim there. And this was his blind spot. Even as he managed to toss his tail hard enough to slam into Yugi's leg, it did nothing to unbalance him. The younger dragon did not even blink.

But the grip was tearing upon him. His entire body was still shaking and wracked with pain. As he huffed and snarled low in his throat, Yugi tossed his head violently. The action was finally enough to make his body cease action entirely safe his breathing. Slowly, reluctantly, fighting him every second of the way, Atem began to grow still.

Finally, as Yugi tossed his head a last time, Atem collapsed. The black dragon fell atop him, unable to move in his own exhaustion. His throat ached and he gasped for air as he opened his jaws to release him again. Atem was frozen beneath him, a low and hideous bellow of something almost like defeat or disbelief crawling from his throat. He opened both mouths, golden eyes blinking in the growing darkness. Then he closed them again, unable to do more than lie there in his overwhelming pain. His eyes closed again tightly, his body suffering as his flanks heaved.

Yugi moved his head to stretch his neck outwards as far as possible, angling his body further in a fashion that seemed almost impossible as it mirrored Atem's almost exactly. His tongue flicked out, the muscle warming the back of his crown of scales as he panted for breath. His legs moved to lay beside Atem's now, prone almost exactly in a shadowing position. Then he released his claws from his shoulders to brace in front of his wings.

The red dragon turned his head slowly, opening his eyes into slits. He looked exhausted, but furious as well. The single eye Yugi could see was glowing with betrayal.

The younger dragon watched him for a moment. Then he angled his head, tilting it towards the ground, and pressed the tip of his beak into his neck, his breath a soft shudder along his scales. "I'm sorry," he breathed out. His wings shuddered softly as well as the bright red scales along his spine. He breathed hard, growling gently as he nuzzled his neck. "I'm so sorry, Atem."

The Sky Dragon presented him with a furious, disbelieving look. His lips curled and both mouths were opened further as he spat, "You said you wouldn't."

The thunderous tone made Yugi flinch. "You would have killed yourself." He shook his head at the thought, and a small noise of fear left his throat. "If you did get away from me, you would tear yourself open doing it. You would have bled to death, Atem."

The red dragon spat softly again. Then he closed his eyes tightly once more. His insides were alight with fire. His entire body was burning. He thought he might be sick. His neck ached. He pressed his face further into the dirt. The black dragon whimpered softly. The noise tore down the walls pressing upon the Sky Dragon's senses.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry—"

He growled softly and lashed his tail across the dirt for a moment. "You're right."

"Huh?"

"I would have killed myself." Atem opened his eyes again just long enough to look towards him more fully. "I cannot heal internal wounds, only external."

Yugi shifted his weight, seemingly pulling himself in a slightly upright in a seated position. "I'm still sorry. I told you I wouldn't—"

The Sky Dragon shook his head slowly. "You did as I needed you to." He exhaled softly, closing his eyes tightly again as he flexed his toes to press his claws into the dirt as if to steady himself.

Yugi shook his head and stretched his neck out to nuzzle the other's cheek again. He pressed his nose into his cheek, behind the immense tusk-like canine that existed beneath his eye. The gust he let out made Atem tremble slightly. "I love you. I am so sorry that I had to do this, Atem."

He hesitated for a moment. Then he shifted slightly to draw himself slightly to his feet. He had to claw and scratch lightly at Atem's back limbs in order to find his footing, bracing his haunches. He moved as if to stand, straightening his back legs only slightly.

The movement made Atem gasp out. But now the noise seemed far more enthralled and beautiful rather than pained. The younger dragon tilted his head slightly but pressed more of his weight into his back legs. He drew himself somewhat further to his feet, his limbs pressured with strength. The tension allowed him to raise his hips a little further. And the noise which left Atem was similar to the last to escape his throat. It was pleasured as the other dragon began to pant through his immense teeth at the sensation.

Yugi sank his claws into the dirt next to Atem's flanks, pressing and tipping his weight forward. The red dragon hissed now, lashing his tail as he flexed his claws and growled low in his throat once more. The action had drawn Atem's hips upwards slightly from the ground, a mere few millimeters from the earth. The sound which left Atem again now, as he pressed forward slightly more, was far from as vicious as it had been before. It was beautiful and soft, a purr almost, rather than an anxious and pained snarl.

Amazed, Yugi lowered his neck to run his tongue along Atem's cheek. "Does that feel good?" he asked softly, voice gentle rather than sneering as the red dragon had initially assumed it would be.

He rumbled again, the noise so powerful as to make them shake and quiver for a moment. Then Atem shivered, flicking the tips of his wings, and flexed his paws. His claws rose and pressed into the dirt again as he gasped and snarled and panted.

"Yes— _yes_."

He wanted to laugh, both delighted and amused by the sound of his voice so enthralled with pleasure. Yugi pressed a little further into him, then angled his hips upwards again. Atem let out a ragged noise which almost sounded like a desperate mewl.

The breathless quality to his tone made Yugi shudder. The very idea that Atem might even be enjoying himself was almost amazing to the younger dragon. The God Dragon was flexing his long claws, mewling softly and purring, though Yugi did not move his own hips any further. The fear was still in his mind, that perhaps if he thrust he might pull too hard and the action might make Atem attempt to flee again. So he simply raised and lowered his hips, then shifted forward and back in a pseudo thrust. He thought the way his own belly felt sliding across Atem's scales made the other writhe slightly, tail twitching and thudding with absolute pleasure.

The black dragon shifted his weight again as Atem growled and panted, then moved his back leg to rub against Atem's. His back paw thrummed over it, his claws tickling his limb in a teasing fashion. The Sky Dragon shot him a confused look as Yugi repeated the gesture. The action made Atem slowly shift his own weight to the side, muscles drawing a little closer and tighter together as if he might rise to his feet. But Yugi simply purred against his cheek where he could reach it, lifting his hips once more. The effect was embarrassing in how instantaneous it was for Atem, pulling a soft and beautiful bellow of pleasure from his lungs. His tail lashed again, thumping hard as he panted heavily and growled softly. His spine shivered with quill-like scales that shook beneath his underbelly like a stirring wind.

The minutes passed into what seemed like hours, Atem holding more or less still for him. Yugi was unsure of how much time had passed in their union, as the sky was blanketed in darkness and flecked with white stars. But the red dragon was still mewling as the moon was close to its zenith overhead. And Yugi could not be sure whether his stillness was due to hesitation and the concept of potentially tearing his own flesh, or perhaps the thought that he would have to shake him like again if he did so. Maybe it was even simply pleasure which kept him there, however, as he had not ceased for even a moment to stop his purring and soft bellowing. He panted, flexing his paws again, and Yugi shifted his weight forward, raising and lowering his hips in slow rhythmic movements.

The consistency, slow and steady, had eased much of the pressure the barbs had put upon his insides. And it did well to save the ache of his swollen size where it had buried itself deep within the older dragon. The size had to be almost as painful as the barbs themselves, the stretch noticeable and uncomfortable with a soft burn of some kind, but Yugi could not find it in himself to ask.

And, when he could feel the pocket of heat in his underbelly beginning to leave him, Yugi began to feel sick. Atem's pleasure turned into a great, shattering cry of pain that echoed in the air. The red dragon screamed again, then scrabbled. He dug his claws into the dirt, then dragged himself forward. It was only by sheer exhaustion and the sensation of being spent which Yugi was allowed to withdraw. His entire body was aching, burning, and the weariness wore down on him wholly.

And, so, he almost missed it.

Had Yugi not been staring at him, panting and gasping for air, he would never have seen his retreat.

Atem slid out from beneath him as if he were a mighty snake with wings. He slithered on his belly away, got to the edge of the cliff, and disappeared as if he had never been there to begin with.

Yugi was on his feet again, dizzy from the suddenness, but tracked his progress all the same. The Sky Dragon flew over the side of the cliff, throwing himself into the immense river far below. The sheer velocity sent a crashing wave seemingly miles high. And Yugi immediately dragged himself to the edge.

He was exhausted, breathless and panting, but drew himself over the edge and down the cliff stone paths to get to the sandy bank. The earth was softer here, wet and so mildly muddy, and it did well to heal some of the heat that had initially coursed through his paws. Instinct told him to be wary, however. His entire body was drooping, energy spent in its absolution, and his wings even ached from their union. He groaned in the back of his throat, but he doubted the other might ever be inclined to return to his side.

His own incomprehension of his body, of his sexual maturity, had most probably ruined the experience. If only Yugi had known which attributes he might have possessed beforehand. But, to do so, would have meant being unfaithful towards his dearest desires to win Atem over one day. And he'd been unable to do that by any stretch.

Yugi closed his eyes tightly. He'd most likely ruined everything between them, before they might even have gained true affection to be shared. He bunched his limbs together, pulling his legs closer, and moved to wrap his tail around his paws miserably.

For a few long minutes Atem remained beneath the surface, no doubt lurking somewhere far under in order to avoid Yugi's sight. Then, with a sudden rush and splash, the red dragon's popped up. He was wide-eyed, mouths opened and water dripping from his teeth like saliva, and blinked at him stupidly. It was such a bewildered expression on his face, golden eyes wide and almost stunned, Yugi felt realization crash through him.

Atem had not expected him to be there.

Atem had not expected Yugi to  _follow_  him.

He had not even expected him to  _stay_.

Atem had assumed that Yugi would have been satisfied to mount him and then fly off to leave him there alone.

Yugi blinked, hurt by the very idea. But he felt shattered by the absolute disbelief and growing relief in the God Dragon's glittering eyes. The younger dragon wanted to get to his feet and leap at him, perhaps to draw him close, to reassure him, but he was exhausted. His entire body still ached and he simply wanted to lay there, struggling to regain his breath, and simply rest.

Atem, however, dragged himself onto the bank beside him. The soil did well to cool his underbelly and his paws, the water from his scales chilling the sand further. He was still breathing hard, crouching for a moment, and then he lashed his tail with a bellow of pain. The Sky Dragon began to roll upon the soft sand in a desperate bid to rid himself of the fire that trailed through his body. He cried out again, panting with his mounting pain, and shivered as his body continued to shake.

Yugi watched him, unsure of what more to do.

Then he opened and closed his mouth before shaking his head, hearts aching. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would hurt you so much, Atem. I would never have said yes or done this now if—"

He was thrashing, writhing. Then he paused. His eyes were wide and blank. The gem in the center of his forehead was flashing. His sides quaked with the task of panting. Finally, gasping out, he spat, "I feel as if I might be dying."

He flinched. "Oh, Atem—"

"It hurts."

"I know."

"You don't."

"I can see it. And I'm sorry."

The God Dragon panted and quaked again. His tail lashed. He spat and squirmed. Then he fell still again hours later. Yugi had long since moved closer, lying beside him, but they were not touching. Their bodies were within wingspan of each other if either simply flexed them those few inches.

The moon was in the center of the sky by the time the red dragon finally hissed, "Yugi."

At his name the black dragon immediately lifted his head from where'd he'd curled up and lay it upon his long claws. He jumped to his feet, rushing to his side. "Are you all right, Atem? I'm so sorry. I had not considered how it might hurt you. I thought that if you were enjoying yourself then it wouldn't…"

Atem shook his head and rolled slowly onto his stomach again. Wordlessly the red dragon spread a wing and flexed it as far as it might go. Yugi was panting, gasping, with relief. He threw himself forward immediately, carefully laying beside the other dragon. He was tucked into his side, wings between them as Atem lowered his own to drape across his back, curling it over his left flank.

"We will work it out." Atem closed his eyes tightly. Then, hesitantly, the red dragon angled his head towards him, lowering his chin to rest on Yugi's forelimbs. He shifted his neck just enough to settle more comfortably there and Yugi moved to lay his own across the back. The younger dragon tucked his chin enough to fit his jaw into the groove of Atem's cheek, where a pocket of warmth came with the soft flesh of the connective tissue that joined it to his neck. "Perhaps when we are more used to it, things will become easier. Maybe our bodies will adapt, or we will grow used to it. I think I freaked out so much because I had never done so previously."

"I truly had no knowledge of whether it would a combination or simply the barbs," Yugi admitted regretfully, surprised to feel Atem's tail curling closer to his own. It slipped abruptly beneath his, then wrapped once or twice around it, the end of it closed as it lay near the Sky Dragon's bottom mouth. "I wish more than anything that I would have known before we'd ever done this."

The red dragon studied him for a long time. "What would you have done if you'd lost?" he asked slowly, closing his golden eyes. Yugi shivered beside him, as if the very idea scared him more than anything. His blue-violet eyes flickered away and fell on the dirt in front of them. "If I had pinned you down and let you go, what would you have done, Yugi?"

The black dragon was silent for a long minute. Then he stared at the end of Atem's tail, where the scales were open and feather-like in its design. The keratin was not there, the spears withdrawn back to the sheathes within its brilliant red scales. "I don't know. I tried really hard not to think about losing, Atem. I think I thought that failure was impossible as long as I didn't consider it to be otherwise. I was more fearful that if you knew what species I was, you would chase me off. Or kill me."

Atem flicked his tail inches from Yugi's nose. His eyes were wide, startled, and the speed of it made him stiffen for only a split second. Then, tiredly, he relaxed again. The God Dragon might have been irritable but he would not lash out at him in any manner. "You were wise to hide yourself. I don't think for a second that I might have accepted your challenge otherwise. But I do not believe I would have killed you.  _True_  Gandora dragon are so rare. And you are so terribly  _young_."

The other male studied him curiously for a moment. Did his age upset him? Of was it simply that Atem would have been guilt-ridden for killing a younger opponent? He was sure most of the dragons that had faced him had been sexually and physically mature long before they'd come to face him. Yugi blinked and shifted closer. Their sides were pressed tightly together as he kept his head on his neck and flicked his tongue.

"But you hate Fire Dragons."

"I do not  _hate_  any dragons. I hate the sheer brutality of their rituals. And I despise many of their attitudes. I loathe their actions. I was bitter in being faced with that terrible arrogance each of them came to challenge me with. I was repulsed by their desires to overwhelm or overpower me or their threats to make my voice hoarse and my body limp. I do not  _hate_  any species of dragon, Yugi. I was simply concerned and wary. And so many of the Fire Dragons would make sure to mention their ability to make me writhe and scream and beg…" Atem fell silent for a long minute and then his tail thrashed, with enough force to nearly make Yugi tremble before he thumped the appendage and growled low in his throat. "They were my most frequent of suitors. Because they wanted to claim that they'd conquered the God Dragon. When I would win they would demand rematches or bank on my pride to make me turn back to prove them wrong when they would begin leering at me. Each time it happened, I would warn them once. And then I would take their heads off."

Yugi shuddered and turned his head just enough to open his eyes and peer at him sideways. Atem still had his closed. But he knew the Sky Dragon could feel his pointed stare. "I'm so sorry you went through that."

"You are very regretful of things that you have nothing to do with."

His scales shuddered again along his long spine and he wished he could burrow inside of the emotionally despaired older dragon. He wished they could become one in the same, so tightly wound that no one could tell where one began and the other ended. "I wish… It should never have happened."

He hummed and his tail lashed slightly once more. "If I had not been like this, Yugi, do you think you would still have been capable of winning against me?" he asked quietly.

Yugi felt all four of his hearts squeezing within his chest. "I think I would have never even known you or about you or anything like that…if your brothers hadn't been so terrible to you. Or if you'd hadn't begun to kill your suitors as soon as they got too close to you or pushed too hard."

"Then stop feeling such pity for me and continue past it."

The words were so harsh that it stunned and perplexed the younger dragon. It left him feeling cold and shocked, his blue-violet eyes wide with bewilderment. Did Atem truly feel as if he were patronizing him like that? He did not feel pity for him in the  _slightest_. He had never wanted him to experience such things, however. But he was not saying that to make Atem feel small or stupid for the suffering he had once been put through.

But if Yugi were to speak against it, he was sure the Sky Dragon would be further riled into his growing bitterness. The subject would need to be changed. Or perhaps he should let Atem rest instead. Sleep sounded beautiful to him, and the thought of allowing Atem time to recover as well made his decision more than his own needs.

So he shifted his neck, nuzzling the crown of Atem's head, and closed his eyes. He focused on the breaths Atem released, syncing his own to their steady pacing, and let the darkness swallow him.

He was woken again by the nearly inaudible action of Atem's wings shifting. Somehow the dragon had slipped from beneath him, now resting several feet away, grooming meticulously along the soft leather membrane of his left wing.

He was nipping and soothing what appeared to be small waves of tension beneath his scales. The muscles twitched and Yugi wondered if it was residual stress from their disastrous mating earlier. The very thought made him want to cover his face with his paws and hide away from Atem's sight altogether.

Surely there would have been another challenger who might have come to love Atem later, right? Had he ruined his chances of being happy? He'd ruined the possibility of him having any offspring, first because they weren't compatible genetically and second because if he were interested in them he would either have to change sexes where Yugi couldn't or asexually produce the eggs. And the eggs most likely would not hatch if they were not fertilized and Yugi could not do that either. The Fire Dragon part of his genetics would burn the life from the egg the moment he even attempted to fertilize them.

He'd ruined his chances to have any true partner who could provide him offspring and—

But he hadn't meant to hurt him in any way! Did that not count for anything?

"Are you prepared for a lesson on Sky Dragons?"

Yugi blinked wide eyes and wondered if perhaps he had spoken aloud. The tremor that must have come out had to be one of the most pathetic things Atem had ever heard, he was sure. He had stiffened instinctively upon hearing his voice and feeling that mounting disappointment inside of him. But the look on Atem's face was initially merely curious, head cocked and eyes peering at him in the dark.

And then Yugi forced himself to relax, surprised as the expression seemed to fall from the Sky Dragon's countenance completely. The new look to make up his expression was that of something almost akin hurt and the younger dragon bristled slightly before he got to his feet.

Yugi was wide-eyed now as he took in Atem's face once more. He was so quiet and his expression was something between mournful and aching with a regret that Yugi didn't understand. It only occurred to him a moment later, as he looked at him more closely, that Yugi had proven himself to be rather ignorant in his inability to answer. It was blatantly clear now that his initial inaction, despite being brought on by his surprise, had come off as purely negative to the other dragon. The way his golden eyes darkened and the gem in his forehead seemed to grow cloudy was enough to make Yugi falter.

He'd messed up.

And they'd barely been in each other's company for a handful of hours.

He'd inadvertently hurt him already.

The black dragon wanted to sob out loud for a moment, crestfallen with his discovery. Then he sprang forward. His wings were still tucked along his sides, but the momentum sent him close. Yugi quickly reared back and placed his paws on Atem's chest between the scythes of keratin and bone there. The Sky Dragon's immediate reaction was to jerk back slightly, startled, as his tail lashed briefly back and forth before slowly settling again. His entire body rippled with tension and he found that the older male trembled with the stiffness as he breathed out roughly. Then he blinked and relaxed again.

Yugi knew better than to ask about such a reaction. And it occurred to him that he had fumbled yet again, even if it had only been ever so slightly. He'd moved too quickly, triggering what could have potentially been a deadly retaliation on Atem's behalf. The red dragon would not have even entirely meant to. He would have simply reacted to the potential threat. And Yugi was sure his body would have been skewed in two.

He drew in a deep breath, backing up a step. He felt inevitably stupid and young, too childish to be presented the opportunity of a lifelong mate as Atem required. And the look in the other's eyes said something of bewilderment and light alarm and it was more obvious than ever now that, not for the first time, the Sky Dragon was considering their age difference as well.

The odds seemed to be piling up.

And his hearts were racing as he looked back at him.

What if Atem decided that their differences were too plentiful?

There was age. There was diet. There were the mating rituals. Their lifespans were incredibly differing. Their body types were almost impossible paired together. Their abilities and magic were incredibly contradictory…

What if he just could not longer stand them at some point?

What if he simply became too overwhelmed by it all and gave up?

"Of course! What did you have in mind?" he asked in a voice that was louder than normal in his growing desperation. He pushed the thought aside again, watching Atem with what he  _hoped_  was simply a curious and somewhat excited expression. When Atem did not seem to respond, Yugi stepped closer and flicked his tail from side to side almost as if he were wagging it like the humans' dogs. "I would  _love_  to learn more about your species."

The Sky Dragon remained silent for a moment, that bewildered expression remaining clear on his face. Then his bright red wings straightened as he got slowly to his feet. Yugi could see a polished gleam covering the brilliant scales of them, soft and slick and glistening like water droplets. He wondered at the sight of them, tilting his head in question as he noticed the way they seemed to almost glitter like stars touching his scales.

Had Atem groomed them so much? How long had he been awake like this? When had he even moved?

It was abundantly clear now as well that Atem had been awake for a rather long time, a few hours at the very least.

His hearts hurt as he looked at him. "What did you want to teach me?" he asked in a more forced cheerful tone. The sound of it made Atem's tail lash for the briefest of moments. Then Yugi crept a step closer and Atem tucked his wings further into his sides. "I would love to learn…"

Very slowly, the Sky Dragon seemed to shake whatever doubt or lingering suspicion had formerly held him there. He abruptly got to his feet, shook his body as if to dispense of water droplets gathered on his scales, and then he turned and began to trot wordlessly towards the same ledges they'd used to trail up to the cliff initially. Yugi was a step behind him, then at his side a heartbeat later, a sense of eager apprehension squeezing his insides in a vice grip.

Atem still wanted to mate with him!

Atem still wanted to perform the Sky Dragons' mating ritual with him!

His stomach knotted with disbelief, then relief, and finally mounting hesitancy. Atem would take him skyward, pin him with his body, hold him up there, and mate until his own energy was completely spent. And Yugi was abruptly aware of the fact that he had only the smallest idea of what that truly entailed in all actuality. He knew enough of it to realize that, unlike him, Atem had the capability to withdraw once he'd pushed in as fully as he was able. It would be most likely be painful, however, and he'd more than likely become dizzy from the speed they'd have to spin in order to retract from him completely, but he was aware of it in the least.

They trailed past the cliff he had mounted him on and a slight tremor of pride ran through him. He had done it. He had  _won_. And he had mated with Atem,  _despite_  his fear and the odds piled against them.

A small tremor ran through him again.

He trotted a little faster.

The Sky Dragon glanced at him sideways, curious.

The Gandora ignored his look, but had raised his head proudly and was walking with a much more apparent bounce to his movements again. The excitement was so plain and visible that Atem wondered at the sight of it, blinking curiously. The red dragon tilted his head, glancing over his shoulder towards the cliff behind them, and bristled angrily for a split second.

Was Yugi delighting in the reminder of his agony from hours before?

Was he laughing at the way he'd fled upon completion?

He almost wished to snap his teeth at him, demand answers and attack him if he denied him. But it occurred to him as well that not only would such an action be rather foolish, but it would also most likely alienate Yugi on top of it. And from what he could smell of his pheromones, there was nothing in the slightest that hinted towards malicious laughter. He'd scented it on his siblings far too many times as it was. He would have recognized it had he been exposed to it again.

And it was not as if anything had happened on the cliff that he himself had not conceded and given permission to. Yugi had mounted him, had at least  _tried_  to be as gentle as he could. It was his own fault that he'd panicked.

Atem's wings began to feel heavy, drooping with his disappointment. How was it that the younger dragon had been so confident in the ability to win and persuade him to allow such a thing? How had he known that the God Dragon would not kill him?

And yet he'd been so terrified after  _telling_  him to continue that he'd tried to flee once and then succeeded the second time.

"How comfortable are you with this height?" he asked quietly, tail flicking across the dirt behind him. The ledge began to rattle where a few stones were dislodged and scattered, rolling a few small feet. Atem blinked as Yuugi turned his head to look at him for a moment and then glanced about them and towards the infinite sky overhead. Then Yugi stretched his wings open as far as they could go, measuring a sense of the pressure the atmosphere pressed upon them.

"I can go about another twenty feet and remain airborne for up to an hour but any higher and my ability to remain up there becomes halved." Yugi turned to him and there was something almost akin shame in his beautiful eyes. He tucked his wings and his head lowered slightly as they looked at each other. "But I can't go much further than that."

The unspoken fear that Atem could not support him beyond that height was heavy in the air between them. It was painful to admit even to himself that he did not believe he was capable of it himself either. He'd carried a buffalo to this height one time while deciding he wanted a food beyond fish at the moment. But he'd had to frequently stop and put the carcass down, catching his breath and trying again for short bursts of time. He'd technically been capable of swallowing it whole, but the action would have harmed him a lot more than the exhaustion ever could have. Getting to the top to his cave might have been long and arduous a task, but the red meat had lasted him for nearly a moon as it'd filled his belly in much less than the fish would have required. He'd been starving that day, mere moons before he'd become truly sexually mature, his entire belly empty for what seemed weeks leading to the day.

Atem tilted his head. The buffalo had been about half the size of Yugi himself. When he had tried to calculate the height or weight he'd carried upon having air pressure  _and_  exhaustion as  _well_  as the sheer immensity of his scales, Atem could only truly sum up his ability to the meager amount of two hours at the most. But that, in itself, might have been pushing too hard physically for him to attest to such a time period.

"Would you like to go a little lower? If we start from the cliff under us, I can bring you to this height, rather than any higher." Atem briefly considered an option of allowing the opportunity to pass altogether. Then, with a vicious sense of urgency, his spine prickling and bristling in a long row.

Had he been with another dragon, there was no possibility whatsoever he would  _ever_  have been offered the chance to be able to potentially scent mark and partially claim his mate through an equal mounting. Yugi was truly willing to give him such an opportunity.

Atem could feel it, that overwhelming need to go through with it. He was desperate, hearts pounding, and Atem did not know what it was that truly caused such frantic and fearful necessity in him. But a part of him was truly panicked at the very idea of denying himself such opportunity.

He needed to mount Yugi.

He  _had_  to.

Otherwise…

Atem stepped forward only once. Yugi blinked, almost moving back a pace in response. Then he forced himself to stay there, calming ever so slightly. The Sky Dragon looked more alarmed and possibly fearful than even remotely angry or mildly upset. He blinked, wondering at the sight before him.

He had never thought he'd witness such restrained panic in the other dragon's eyes. Not once in his life had another looked at him in such a manner, and never had he encountered it in  _Atem's_  before. Not even when he was tackled by his brothers and his wings dislocated or left to deal either that terrible wound on his side had he ever looked like that.

Yugi opened and closed his mouth. Then, finally, he stepped closer and ducked his head in order to angle his neck to allow him the capability of flicking his tongue along the bottom side of Atem's jaw. The action was both mildly submission and openly pleading, begging for his attention and asking for a sense of patience that bordered on nonsensical. The younger dragon graced him with another lick, breathed hard against his own smooth neck, and nipped gently.

Atem let out a soft noise of acknowledgment, stepping back slightly once more. Yugi wished he could have drawn him closer, held him there and burrowed into his side until they were sharing body warmth. It was so odd how much he so powerfully wanted and desired nothing more than to be impossibly close to him. Fire and Wind Dragon males both tended to empty themselves into their mate anywhere from one to five times and then flee. Neither species had ever truly stuck around for much longer than to expend themselves and recover.

Yet, all the younger dragon desired was to pull him close and maybe burrow into his flesh. He wanted to simply lie beside him, to sync their breathing again and sleep some more. He wanted, more than anything, for Atem to simply believe him when he said he wanted to  _remain there with him_.

Yugi flicked his dark wings, lashing his tail for a long moment, and watched him with those same bright blue-violet eyes. Then he stepped back, glancing over his shoulder and considering the small ledges they'd traveled up. "Which do you think is the better option? Up here or down there?" he finally asked, turning back.

Atem considered him, then looked down. "Down there. The pressure won't be as strong." He hesitated, glancing at Yugi with that same unsettled look he'd been wearing before. "If we only come up this high during the mating, then I might be able to keep us airborne perhaps a little while longer than I could from the leap we'd make from this point."

Yugi nodded and then turned to trot his way down the pass they had been traversing. Beside him, the older male paused and then slowly began to follow. They trekked until they came to the cliff again and Atem wondered at the lack of fear he felt coming there again. But it was not as if the younger dragon had forced him in any way, and he could not justify being afraid of a place that unfamiliar events had transpired by simply his own words and pleas.

Yugi turned to look at him sideways once more. "Okay," he agreed after a only a moment longer. Atem tilted his head, amazed by the sheer determination he could see in those brilliant gemstones of blue-violet. The younger dragon moved closer to him, then turned around again with his head tipped slightly towards the moon for a brief moment. "How are we going to do this?"

Atem hesitated for a moment, slowly lashing his tail with a low noise somewhere between pleasure and disbelief. The sound made Yugi turn to him with wide eyes, confused and bewildered by the somewhat overwhelming noise in his ears, but the red dragon simply tilted his head and considered him curiously. His claws flexed and punctured the earth for a moment and that curious look in his eyes was clouded with the expression of someone overcome. He looked amazed as well, almost as if completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the offer and the way Yugi had not rescinded it. Then Atem drew in a deep breath and lashed his tail slowly, the action heavily labored, as if he were barely restraining himself. But whether it was with anger or excitement Yugi could not tell. And he did not think he was brave enough to ask.

"Follow me into the air."

He drew his wings up, flapping them just enough to throw his lighter frame into the air. The tips of his wings twitched slightly from the touch of an air current as he glided, letting out a low rumbling breath that bordered the edges of a soft growl. He craned his long neck to look down, slightly surprised to see the younger dragon beneath him by about a foot of space.

But Yugi did not appear as if he might be afraid by any means. He simply seemed the smallest hint unnerved as hovered beneath him but Atem could not tell if it was because he was afraid of the height he might go or slightly uncomfortable with the concept of being mounted.

Perhaps it was slightly overwhelming to him in truth, even if he did agree to it so readily.

Atem flexed his claws again and wondered at the strange willingness Yugi truly did seem to harbor as he followed him and his instructions so readily. The younger, darker dragon truly  _must_  have loved him in order to simply allow himself to be led so simply. "Can you glide beneath me?"

Yugi blinked, tipping his head up. He watched him for a long moment, then banked slightly in order to right himself completely beneath Atem. He judged their alignment but Yugi had only ever truly hunted when he was in the air, using it simply as an aerial ambush technique. He did not know how to properly tell his own position beneath him like this.

"Like this?" he questioned quietly, blinking and drawing his head back again. It was impossible to tell, however, and he felt foolish beneath the Sky Dragon like this.

Atem would have smiled if he was not so compelled to simply draw Yugi closer. But a more tired part of him, loud in its protests, begged him to simply forget the mating ritual altogether and tuck lazily into Yugi's side instead. They could lay together, tails twined, sharing body warmth, as scarce as it was, and maybe even talk back and forth about a few of the issues that might come about in the future.

Immediately he thought of those suitors that might protest their union and his belly flared with hate as he looked at the other for a moment. "Yes," he answered simply, shaking the thought away completely. He angled his wings to pull the tips towards his flank, causing his flight to halt altogether, giving him the opportunity to hover weakly.

"Move forward just a bit more."

Yugi obeyed him, drifting a little further ahead so that his own wings were almost directly below his forelegs. He'd positioned himself perfectly and, had Atem known a way to say such a thing without condescension he would have told him. But as it was, his tongues were tied and his wings were tucking themselves into his sides to lower his body. He had just nearly skimmed the Gandora's back when he spoke again.

"Are you all right?"

The younger dragon tipped his head up and the way their eyes connected made Atem's hearts race. Yugi smiled at him, but his eyes showed the smallest sense of tension. "Of course," he breathed, nodding slightly once more. "Please, continue, Atem."

The Sky Dragon growled softly, then stretched his claws outwards, opening his toes farther apart as he considered the distance. The younger dragon lashed his tail, moving it slightly sideways, but not so far that it might impact his balance. He was not the greatest when it came to flying; his skill was mediocre at best, if one were to judge.

He was well aware of that.

He truly only bothered to use this ability in order to ambush large prey or to see to Atem's health after he'd been old enough to leave his parents. Since then he'd been traveling back to the mountain range upon word of mouth from the others speaking of the God Dragon of the East. And he'd hidden with the humans for moons in order to spend time among them in hopes of learning how to use the net effectively to catch Atem. Beyond flying high enough to check on Atem at certain times, he had not done much to strengthen his wings or lose that natural sense of fright which came with flight.

Atem angled his hips slightly, drawing his back legs closer to his belly, tucking them more tightly towards the softer scales. His claws caught his upper shoulders, just beneath his leathery black wings. Yugi blinked and again tipped his head up, though this time he looked over his shoulder to face Atem more fully. The action caused his mouth to touch Atem's, the tip of their beaks rubbing as if they were mimicking a human kiss. Atem blinked at him, visibly stunned by the connection that had occurred between them, but his descent did not slow.

Yugi felt it more than he could see it. The other dragon's hindquarters lowered and his smooth, muscular underbelly began to tuck gently upon his scaled back. His hips were angled to hang off to the side of his right hock, however, and his claws caught on his hind right limb. The red dragon cupped his upper forelimbs more comfortably, his paws warm and soft where they encompassed the muscle. His long claws cupped his skin lightly there, his fifth digits almost human in their position, like a palm holding his flesh. The sensation was somewhat distracting, but not enough to allow Yugi to fail to feel it as Atem shifted his hips and angled them enough to nudge his tail away with his knee there.

The action made Yugi that much  _more_  aware of how little balance he would have upon doing so. If he were to move his tail away, he would destroy his own equilibrium, he knew. The younger dragon shivered but quickly began to brace his wings, holding them open as far as he could as he spread his toes further.

Atem rumbled low in his throat, the force of his purr vibrating along the surface of his raised scales. He moved his hips again, grasping upon his back legs with his long claws once more. The new position allowed him to fully encompass his mate's heavier body, squeezing lightly and nudging upon his tail again.

Yugi hesitated, then quickly flicked his tail away to give him more room, fearing he might drop from the sky itself.

Yet, somehow, they failed to plummet.

Atem drew his wings upwards into a sharp arc, stretching the long ends outwards to keep them both airborne. It was almost as if he'd acquired two human parachute structures, held together perfectly atop his immense form. Yugi blinked at him, eyes wide, as their mouths remained oddly pressed together, their breaths passing into each other's lungs. The red dragon growled softly again and Yugi tilted his head slightly as the two of them hovered a moment longer.

Then, slowly, his breathing a little harsher as it beat against his skin, Atem bowed his back and arched his hindquarters in order to press forward. Yugi kept his claws flexed, desperate to restrain his initial fear and remain relaxed. The black dragon turned his head away again, finally, looking out at the forest for a moment to keep from feeling sick.

Staring up at the sky or meeting Atem's eyes had made him dizzy.

For the first time in his life, Yugi truly hated the idea of his own genetics. Being half Fire Dragon did him no good for this mating ritual. And what if, because of this, he wound up disappointing Atem? And…what if…Atem became  _so_  disappointed with it all that he chased Yugi out?

Yugi blinked.

But why chase him out when he could still kill him?

It would be so simple for him to do it.

Atem probably would not even blink.

His tail was so  _long_  and the scythes in their tip so sharp he could sheer him in half without a single hesitation. And it was not as if Yugi could shake him off now that he held him in such a tight grip. His hearts were pounding as he glanced at Atem sideways. Even if he  _could_  somehow shake him off, the Sky Dragon could manipulate the wind and atmosphere as he so needed and desired. He could rip his wings out to humiliate him and cause him to bleed out if he truly wanted.

The thought threatened to make Yugi quake. But then he felt him there. And his body tensed naturally, his muscles locking into place entirely. His eyes had grown wide, dark blue-violet pools the size of the moon. Why had he not realized beforehand that the Sky Dragon might be larger than him? He had had  _years_  to grow more sexually mature than Yugi himself. He was a hundred years older, with such advantage in that sense, that Yugi hated that he had not perhaps waited to perform this ritual with him.

He drew in a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"A-are you going to be able to fit?"

Atem stilled for a moment, the question stupefying for only a heartbeat. Then he chortled softly. "I should believe so. You fit."

The black dragon shook his head rapidly, fear pushing through him in immense waves. He let out a ragged breath and closed his eyes tightly for a long few moments. "You're a lot older than me, Atem," he objected, entire body stiff and weighted with his anxiety. He opened his eyes again and quickly turned his head towards him, swallowing thickly. His jaw opened and shut again twice before he finally flicked his tongue and better readied his voice, shaking off his hideous tremors. "I just matured enough recently. You've had twice as long to…"

Atem was silent for what felt like a lifetime. The humor had fled him when he'd heard the slight shakiness that encompassed the younger dragon's beautiful voice. Then, slightly sickened by his own laughter, he leaned forward and craned his neck to encourage a touch of their mouths once more. The Sky Dragon tightened his grip on him to reduce the possibility of him slipping from his paws, and flapped his wings slowly to keep them both airborne. "Do not be afraid to tell me if it becomes too much."

The least he could do was offer the same that Yugi had before. It was the smallest inkling of a hint towards how much he understood his fear. Had he himself not been shaken by the mere  _idea_  of mating with him hours prior? If Yugi could have understood him then, Atem had no excuse not to as well. But he had to wonder why it was that Yugi had not mentioned it formerly.

Yugi was shivering beneath him, but no word of protest left his lips. The silence made Atem bristle slightly, unsure of what more to do. And then Yugi tilted his head and snorted loudly, pressing his nose into the God Dragon's jaw. He closed his eyes tightly, breathing out gently against his bright red scales.

"I'll tell you."

The Sky Dragon nodded and squeezed him a little harder, his grip tightening so roughly that Yugi mewled quietly at the sensation. Atem pressed forward minutely, the Gandora hissing softly upon being breached. The sensation was odd more than alarming, and Yugi imagined the size should have been more painful than this soft twitch of muscle and slight heat. But he was caressed by something soft and warm, slight in its temperature much like a pool of water gently heated beneath the sun. It was far unlike the fire and barbs that he had implanted upon Atem himself.

His body relaxed slightly more, the younger dragon mewling softly once again at such a pleasurable touch. It made him purr more softly, but he did not entirely know what more he was capable of doing. If he tried to move, he could very well disable their balance entirely and send them from the sky altogether. And what then? Yugi was already well aware that Atem would have to spiral in a sharp dive and toss him aside in order to disengage from mating without risk of hurting him.

Yugi turned his head slowly, craning his long neck, and became surprised as Atem immediately turned and lowered his muzzle to press softly against his. His top mouth opened and, for a moment, Yugi almost feared he might have lost his patience and perhaps wished to kill him. But the gap between his teeth was just wide enough to allow his bright blue tongue to slip out and lightly flick over his forehead.

The gentle affection was both bewildering and overwhelming in every sense. He'd assumed Atem would be more likely to anger, quick in his temper rather than as patient as he seemed to be at the moment. And, as Yugi looked back at him with a bright blue-violet gaze, the warmth in those brilliant golden eyes made him shiver with absolute pleasure.

"Does it hurt?"

"No…" Yugi blinked. "Um… H-have you hooked yet? Or not so much…?"

Atem growled softly and shook his head, never removing his muzzle from Yugi's, his grip tightening so that his claws dig further into his flesh. "I am not fully sheathed." He paused and blinked before angling his hips in a way that felt almost as if he were shaking his hindquarters. And then he felt his grip tighten further, almost puncturing the muscle of his limbs, before the warmth began to grow somewhat colder, speaking outwards like the ripple of a water droplet.

He could feel himself stretching more noticeably now, a strange but painless sensation, and Yugi flicked his tongue slightly as anticipation filled him. It was not a hurtful intrusion as his own had been with Atem hours before.

And then, quickly, and almost painlessly, he experienced the smallest pinprick of ice and softly heated stone, and Yugi could feel himself stretching further in order to accommodate the other dragon. He turned his head back and looked at one of the tree limbs for a moment. The cold warmth slithered deeper inside of him, seeming to come to a stop only when Yugi felt he might be torn in half from the sensation.

He flexed and folded his claws once more, body shuddering faintly as Atem filled him completely. He was panting, barely resisting the instinctual urge to writhe beneath such a touch, his wings tucking themselves almost completely. It was uncomfortable but no longer painful in the least. And he was amazed by how truly  _warm_  this other dragon was.

"I seem to fit."

Yugi let out a soft, desperate, startled breath that quickly became a gasp of pleasure. He turned his head, tipping it back in an effort to rub his muzzle with Atem's again, but the red dragon seemed to dodge the affectionate touch. He was shifting his weight along his back, a sensation not unlike that of slithering along the length of Yugi's form, his underbelly smooth as water and cool like slicked stones. He would have whined, begging his attention, but all that escaped him was a pant, and Atem lowered his head to press his muzzle into his jaw, nudging softly as he exhaled against his throat.

"It's tight."

The Sky Dragon snorted softly. "I was under the assumption it was meant to be." He stretched the smallest degree further, nipped at his jaw as if he were trying to make his head crane back more, and thrummed his back right leg against Yugi's. The movement distracted the younger dragon who blinked in surprise as the Sky Dragon amazingly slid somehow farther inside of him with a simple, small thrust. But his grip on his flesh had tightened impossibly and Yugi wondered if he had drawn blood as of yet, though he could not feel even the slightest of pains.

The Sky Dragon rumbled softly in his ear, tongue flicking out to lightly run the length of his cheek. Atem's tail was moving, Yugi realized abruptly, the length of it curling outwards and twining once more with his own shorter appendage. The black dragon blinked, stunned by the realization, and turned his head to look at him in surprise. But the Sky Dragon did nothing more than lower his bottom mouth to his throat, licking at the smooth scales there.

"Are you in pain?"

"No. And you're a lot… Err… Cooler than I was expecting…?"

Atem chortled softly. "My body temperature is lower than yours," he admitted quietly after a moment. "And  _I_  do not have barbs."

"No, but you have a hook."

"But it is smoother than the pain from the barbs which you possess."

He would have flinched had Atem not been so busily grooming his neck, the soft affection causing him to become overwhelmed as he gasped and his wings almost tucked completely. The red dragon nipped lightly, thrummed his claws upon his back leg once more, slithered along the top of his spine with a shuddering coil of muscle, and thrust a fraction deeper. There he seemed to grow lodged, his body shuddering once more as he squeezed him gently and then licked and purred against the soft flesh of his throat.

"Do you feel it?"

Yugi was gasping, nearly writhing within his grip in his immense pleasure. The genetic design of a Sky Dragon was so strange to consider when compared to others. How was it that they lacked the more painful biological design that had made his own mating so harmful? Was it because they mated for life? Or because their mating happened within the air?

Plummeting from such a height as they normally flew would have most likely killed if they did not have the ability or grace to catch themselves. Knotting and hooking was hardly as painful as the other species in any manner, and because of their light weight, most often they could simply stay airborne for hours and hours. Some of them would mate for  _days_  if stories were to be truthful…

But Yugi did feel it now. Somehow, impossibly, Atem had swollen and he was rapidly growing completely unable to move even the smallest degree. His grip was tighter and his body was a light and soft pressure upon his back, his wings flapping only slightly every few minutes or so. When he breathed out hard against his neck, an almost cooing exhale, Yugi wished he could melt into the sensation.

"You're knotting."

Atem hummed pleasantly within his ear, flicking his tongue over his cheek. The red dragon stilled after a long minute, purring at the feeling of being encompassed so completely, and a single thrust further inside of Yugi elicited the smallest pinprick of pain and pressure.

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

And suddenly Yugi found himself feeling terrible.

Why was it that his own mounting has been so painful for Atem and yet, when he was in such a position, Yugi himself was not hurt in the slightest? He wanted to sob. If he was a Sky Dragon, Atem would not have felt even an inkling of pain but the hook truly securing itself. And he would be able to breed and have little hatchlings to take care of and teach about life. He imagined that Atem would be a wonderful parent, whether it had required changing sexes for his partner or asexual production or acting as the father.

And Yugi hated himself for a moment. Because he was Fire and Wind, he'd scared and hurt him enough to make him to make him scream and flee in a panic. And he could not stay in the air for as long as Atem would enjoy, he was not able to fly as high as he could. He could not even provide him with a nest. He couldn't properly fertilize any of the eggs if Atem were to lay some. Being half Fire and Atem having a third Water Dragon in his genetics did nothing to allow them an option of such.

Perhaps he should have asked him if he'd like to have hatchlings before he'd truly allowed him to do this. But it was too late now. Atem was tied to him, regardless of how truly incompatible they were in reality.

The realization was wounding but he could not stop himself. It had happened. It was over. Atem's tongue was steady, soft and strong, as it ran along the length of his neck.

Yugi was shivering for a brief moment. "I love you," he said almost breathlessly as Atem continued grooming his neck and blinked bright golden eyes. When he did not answer, Yugi found it hard to truly fret his silence. He was more desperate for that warm liquid sensation resting in his belly to soak through his entire body. It lapped within him, warm and beautiful like sunlit water and it soaked him in one wave at first. Then, when Atem shifted his weight, he thrust just a little further, angling his hips up rather than further inwards. The second wave was just as peaceful and soft, lapping at his insides and making him quiver.

And then his wings buckled and tucked completely. The suddenness of the action  _would_  have ruined them completely had Atem not been prepared. His wings opened immediately, as wide as possible, and he flapped them quickly to maintain their balance. He licked again and Yugi quivered and purred deep in his throat as Atem held them steady.

"Is it usually so easy for Sky Dragons?"

Atem chortled, tilting his head to nuzzle along the underside of his jaw. He flicked his tongue again but did not lick him as he'd done before. "I suppose mating for life makes it so. Since we are not trying to take on multiple partners as other species do." He snorted and rubbed at his neck again softly. "There's no force put into it. So maybe that's why."

Yugi felt another wave of guilt but genetics dictated his inability to be as gentle as Atem himself was. There was no magic he knew of that could possibly change it either. The only thing he knew of was possibly turning human but he could not hold the form for longer than a few minutes. And he had a feeling Atem had never tried to use it himself. But even then, he did not think the organs changed too much. He'd still be barbed and Atem would still knot and hook.

The only difference would be that he would not be airborne while they did it. He could lie on his back or his stomach and they would not have to worry about the energy and power it would take to have to keep them in the air.

Or that Atem might try to flee again.

"What are you thinking about so hard, little Yugi?"

The black dragon blinked at first in surprise, then raised his head slightly and turned to face him a bit more completely. Their muzzles brushed again, a seemingly startling touch that made his body feel like lava, warm and drooping with pleasure. He was breathing a little harder now, body threatening to bow beneath the elation he felt.

"It doesn't matter," he answered, though Atem considered him with curious dark golden eyes. He let out a long exhale and tipped his nose up to rub against his jaw. "It's nothing important."

He hummed but his expression was slightly skeptical. His tongue ran along his neck again but Yugi was so euphoric he almost missed it. Atem's claws were tightening but he was losing his grip regardless. Yugi blinked and instinct bid he try to use his wings but they felt separated from his body and he was so tired and pleased that he could not make them move.

"Keep still."

He blinked, the warning not quite registering at first. And then they abruptly rose higher. The Sky Dragon opened his wings further, brought them slightly higher, and then banked so sharply that Yugi stiffened. The suddenness made him cry out and Atem seemed to release him for a moment. His wings snapped open in a panic. But the downward dive did not slow in the slightest. He thrashed, unfamiliar with the speed. His paws were braced for impact. His claws were flexed outwards. His body was bristling with panic.

Yet, somehow, he was spinning. His wings were forced downwards, tucking. The spinning got faster. He yelped again and the panic bit at his insides. Then, abruptly, he was released. Like a boulder, he began to plummet through the air. His entire body was laden with fear.

And it occurred to him only then that Atem was no longer holding him. Immediately he felt panic crash through him. Had he dropped him and flown off on his own? Had he decided to simply mate with him and then dashed off?

But then he heard a sound behind him. It was a low whistling that came with a high speed drop. He wondered if it was his own body. And then he yelped. It sounded as if the air were being sliced in half, cut with daggers. He panicked again. An image of that deadly tail came to mind.

He could see the keratine and bone, gleaming white, perfectly straight and edged for devastating effects. He pictured the strong muscle and the length of it. And it made his hearts race faster.

And then something slammed into his side. The sheer power of impact sent him flying. He was catapulted like a stone atop a cliff. And then he landed hard. Yugi sank his claws into the dirt, eyes wide. His wings were still folded, tucked tightly, and his body was stiff. He panted as he tried to force his back legs to work. He kicked at the stone, missing at first, and then caught the dirt just slightly. He tried to push up but the rock crumbled beneath his weight.

He scrabbled again. And his grip on the cliff seemed to slip. His claws began to scratch through the dirt. And he was sliding slowly but surely backwards. He gasped out and scrabbled again. His legs were aching now.

He tried to catch himself and missed the opportunity, panting with desperation. If he fell he did not think he'd catch himself. He was not made for flight as Atem was. He could not physically catch himself if he dropped as the cliffs would most likely crumble beneath his weight due to the velocity and sheer power. And, if he did somehow find the ability to catch himself on one of the ledges, he'd still most likely crash in the landing.

Yugi tried again to pull himself up. His muscles were weak, worn and tired from pleasure and his own mating hours before. He slipped again.

And then something caught his back, right behind his wings. He snapped his jaws, snarling in outrage. It almost seemed as if he was being attacked, that they were aiming to tear his wings off. And then he was tugged up and forward. Yugi rolled with the action. He landed on his back. Then he quickly snarled and rolled onto his stomach.

For a moment he did not know what was happening. He did not see what had hit him. He had not known what  _could_  have hit him. He looked around rapidly, and then relaxed.

Beside him, exhausted, was Atem.

The Sky Dragon was limping, wings tucked to his sides, tail lashing slightly. He looked visibly undone, to the point that he nearly toppled over in his haste. He collapsed after a moment or two, flanks heaving, and closed his eyes. A shudder ran through his body once. Then he lashed his tail again.

"I should have paced myself better."

Yugi blinked and raised his head slightly, both relieved and satisfied. He crept a little closer and plopped down more comfortably at his side. "Well I'm still alive so we'll consider it a success." He offered him a gentle smile but Atem seemed dismissive of the kindness he offered. The red dragon tucked his wings into his sides again and closed his eyes tightly. He seemed more ashamed than anything else, as if his inability to remain in the air had potentially broken his will.

The younger dragon faltered for a moment, then drifted closer to him. "You know, I honestly didn't expect to beat you," Yugi whispered, flattening his wings more tightly against his sides. He lightly pressed his claws upon the dirt and flicked his tail uncomfortably. The words had made those brilliant golden eyes open again, focused entirely upon him. "I was expecting you to catch me and throw me aside after you pinned me. I was fully prepared to leave empty-handed and not have a second chance."

The Sky Dragon blinked and narrowed his eyes. "Yet you still tried." He lashed his tail. Yugi had  _tried_ , not taken for granted the idea that he would win. He had not tried to forcefully conquer him. He had not attempted to throw him to the ground and mount him as several others had. But Yugi had simply tried to win, without tricks beyond his own cunning within the rules of their competition. And it still dumbfounded the red dragon. "You are considerably brave to attempt it."

Yugi let out a deep breath. "I thought the possibility worth the danger. I was hopeful that you really would honor your word and concede if I could truly win. I knew you would allow me one chance and  _that's_  why I had to make it count."

Atem blinked again. "You said you love me."

He faltered before closing his eyes and moving to press further into his side. "I do. I love you so much, Atem." He blinked his eyes open again after a moment. Then he opened and closed his mouth again before raising his head further and finally locking gazes with him. The words were firm but the edges of them were frayed with nerves. "And I promise to try to be the best mate you could ever have. I know I'm not what you really wanted, but—"

The Sky Dragon shook his head slowly, a look of keen disbelief and confusion crossing his gaze. His tail rose and the tip drifted forward to press lightly against his muzzle to bid him silent. "I had never assumed interest in a mate to begin with, Yugi. After all of the things I was subjected to, I did not care to seek one out and I had grown very sure of my own ability to win in any competition I might come upon when a suitor might attempt to best me." He fell silent for a long moment, then dropped his tail with a thump, drawing it closer to his paws where his long claws could cocoon it comfortably. Yugi looked at this arsenal of weapons he possessed and shivered. Had they truly fought, he could only imagine the damage his jaws could do on top of those terrible claws and that beautiful tail. "The fact that you are not here to claim power over me or to proclaim yourself the God Dragon's conqueror amazes me. I do not know what I am meant to do with such genuineness, and the thought that you might truly love me makes me fearful."

Yugi bristled, ready to object that he should not be afraid of something like that, that the concept should feel more comforting than anything. But his protest fell dead as he considered his past, the treatment he'd gotten from the ones  _meant_  to love him. And the look on Atem's face did well to silence him altogether. The red tail lashed and thumped on the ground once before the elder dragon snarled softly and looked down at his claws again.

"I do not know that I will come to love you as soon as you should desire, Yugi. But I have found myself rather attached to you simply due to your cunning and your ability to fool me. You managed to impress me, which is something that has not happened in years." Atem fell silent again, then slowly closed his eyes. "I am  _sure_  that, given time and patience, I will find myself able to love you later. But for now the most I may offer is what I ask for, time and opportunity. I do wish to learn to love you, however. If I did not, you would not be alive now."

Yugi blinked and nodded, watching him. He was slightly overwhelmed at the mere thought of it. He had never truly thought about Atem loving him in return. He had been much more focused on showing Atem that his words were truthful than reciprocation of any kind.

"I wish to learn as much as I am able when it comes to you. But it will take time." Atem fell silent again, then blinked his eyes open and peered at him for a long moment. A shudder ran along his wings, but it did not seem to be more than simple nerves to grace his physical form. "And I will compromise with you as much as I am able. But we are not truly compatible, Yugi. And I am aware of just how painful the wait may be for you when you have already grown to hold such affection for me that I do not harbor as of yet."

Yugi blinked, startled by the words. He tilted his head, watching him closely for a moment. Was he truly saying what he thought he was?

"I will do as much to accommodate you as you shall me. You are not going to survive solely upon fish. And I will not be able to survive solely on red meat. We shall have to find a way to compromise our eating habits and even which areas we shall live within for certain seasons, yes?"

Yugi frowned faintly and moved to sit up slightly. His legs still ached but he brushed it off, too stunned to fully experience it. He was staring at the older dragon with wide blue-violet eyes, mind scrambling to truly understand his words.

Was Atem truly thinking so far into the future? Seasonal migrations would do himself well, as the mountains got far too cold for his body to support without possible hibernation, but Atem did not have reason to do so himself. The idea that he might do it simply to make Yugi feel more comfortable was amazing to him.

And oddly bewildering as well.

Why should he try so hard to accommodate him?

He had courted him.

He had challenged him.

And Atem was—

A Sky Dragon; Atem was a Sky Dragon.

And that made all the difference. That was what made him so beautifully willing to compromise. He mated for life. He was capable of doing all of those things that other species normally did not.

Yugi did not know if it was possible to love Atem any more than he already did. But if it was, he felt that he might know this soon, as he was overwhelmed simply hearing his words. For a moment he wished he could put such sensation into words, desperate to show him something more.

But all he could think to do was lean forward and press his muzzle into Atem's. For a long minute he could not even think to speak, and then finally found some words.

"We won't have to go far. I camped out in the valley further towards the mouth of the river where it met the sea during the moons I watched the humans. I had to learn how to use the nets properly, so I stayed close to where they fish." He hesitated for a moment, trying his hardest not to show his nerves as he shifted his weight and looked down. "I've been here for only four moons short of a year, Atem. I thought it would be more important to find out if it was even a possibility for me to habituate the same area as you without constantly drifting. I…I really didn't want you to be uprooted altogether later because of my inabilities."

Atem blinked at him, both bewildered and horrified. But he did not sit up nor did he pull away from him. "You were here…beneath my nose…all of this time…?" he breathed out so softly that Yugi almost could not hear him.

"I was constantly smeared in dirt and berry juice to hide my smell," he admitted with his eyes flickering up again. The horrified look had not left the Sky Dragon's face, but he was not arguing or objecting to him in any way. "I tried my hardest not to let you know I was here. It was cowardly and I'm sorry—"

"You are sorry?" he said incredulously. He tilted his head and flexed his claws for a moment. "The very fact that you managed to hide away from me for so long is proof of your own power and mental strength. And you think it necessary to apologize?"

Yugi blinked and shook his head. "I…I had thought you would be upset with me."

"I am more bewildered that someone might have such skill." Atem faltered. Their muzzles were still touching and the intimacy made him shiver. But another part of him wished for more and so he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against his own. "I am truly impressed. I am glad it was you whom I lost to rather than another."

The black dragon blinked wide blue-violet eyes and he quivered beautifully with shock and relief. The words echoed in his head and he almost pounced forward to press his muzzle into his neck or curl into his side as perfectly as he could. The two of them watched each other for a moment before Atem slowly pulled away and lay his head on his legs.

"I'm tired." The admission had taken more of his energy than even the two mountings had. And now Atem felt further exhausted as he curled his tail and slid it across the ground as he closed his eyes tightly. "Will you rest with me?"

Yugi purred and threw himself forward to curl up into the red dragon's side. "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I wasn't originally going to do this but it was the best thing and I keep laughing every time I reread this part.  
> BEST. AUTOCORRECT. EVER.  
> My phone wrote "He was fucked into his side" instead of "He was tucked into his side" and it was the best thing ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to ask me anything and everything pertaining to the story. And especially to leave constructive criticism (I LOVE it). I like to respond to each comment so if you'd rather not have an answer, just put an asterix (*) in it somewhere and I'll make sure not to reply to it.


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